


By Chance

by Jubilee44



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-07-21 21:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 57,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7405423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubilee44/pseuds/Jubilee44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theo and Philip are accidentally placed in the same dorm room. They both try to get it fixed but apparently there’s nothing the RA can/wants to do. Now Theo has to deal with Philip commenting on every boy she brings home and Philip has to deal with Theo making a face at his cleaning habits. To top it off their fathers are rivals. So things shouldn’t go well... right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

            Columbia University, 2016, Fall Freshmen Orientation. Their journeys started on two different sides of campus but eventually they’d end up walking right by each other’s sides. But it was a long ways away.

           

            “Alexander, his dorm is on the other side of campus!” Eliza Hamilton scolded her husband.

            “I am not paying fifteen dollars to park next to his dorm room.” Alex replied to his wife and parked on the curb.

            “Says the guy who just bought a new car.” Angie said to her older brother.

            “Hey, I heard that.” Alex looked in the rearview mirror at his eldest daughter.

            Philip Hamilton smiled but inside his stomach was churning. He’d been happy to make his father proud by being accepted to Columbia. But knowing that day was orientation was making him nervous. He didn’t let it show, he was a Hamilton he had to be strong.

 

           “Is that everything?” Aaron Burr looked over at his precious daughter.

            “I guess so.” Theo looked up and sighed when she saw her father looked positively miserable. “Dad, I’m going to be just fine.” She promised him. “I’m not far away and I’ll call every day.”

            “I know, you’re just growing up too fast.” Aaron replied and hugged her close. “I love you.” He said softly. “Be safe and call me tonight when you’re done with all the orientation activities.”

            Theo nodded and pulled away. “I will.” She smiled and went to walk out of the dorm with him. “I’ll come walk to your car.”

 

            “Make sure you wash your sheets at least once a week, don’t mix your darks and lights in the wash and keep your room clean.” Eliza said as Philip was assuring his family out of the dorm he’d just finished moving into.

            “Alright mom, I’ve got it.” Philip said. “Now you guys can go.”

            “We love you so much.” Eliza hugged her oldest tightly and kissed both of his cheeks. “Eat well too, don’t eat too much junk food. And go to bed early, don’t stay up too late…you can’t miss any classes…”

            “Alright, Eliza.” Alexander had to separate them so he could give his son a hug too. “You’re going to do fine. You’re going to make us proud.” He said confidently. He pulled away and couldn’t help but notice for the millionth time how much his son reminded him of himself. It felt like only yesterday he was in the hospital room holding that little bundle for the first time, looking into his son’s eyes, imagining all the bright possibilities Philip had.

            Angie got a hold of her brother next. “Bye Pip. Scout out some cute boys for me, will ‘ya?”

            “In your dreams.” Phillip rolled his eyes. He made his way through saying goodbye to all of his six siblings, ending with two-year-old Eliza.

            “Bye-bye Lilip.” She used her nickname for him that she never outgrew.

            Philip smiled and watched his family walk out of the dorm building. He knew it would be weird not living in the chaotic Hamilton household, but he was starting a new chapter to his life.

            That’s when a beautiful young woman walked by and caught Philip’s attention, making him forget about his sentimental thoughts about his family. He quickly grabbed the door and opened it for her. “After you.” He said with a charming smile.          

            Theo looked a little wary of him but smiled. “Thank you.” She said and walked in.

            Philip followed her and caught up to her side. “Freshman?” He asked.

            Theo nodded. “Yep, and you?”

            “Brand new.” Philip beamed. “I dunno though, I’m not nervous or nothing.” He knew it was a lie but he wasn’t going to admit that to a gorgeous girl like her.

            They walked up the stairs together. “Well isn’t that good for you.” She said a little turned off by how confident he was. She was taught to be polite and never arrogant.

            Philip laughed. “I guess so.” He stopped at his dorm and went to open the door.

            “You’re kind but you don’t have to open my door for me.” Theo said. “I can handle it.”

            “I think you’re confused, this is my dorm.” Philip corrected.

            “No…I was assigned two-bee.” Theo said. “You’re confused.”

            “Look, I was assigned this dorm, my stuff is already in here…my roommate’s stuff is already in here too.” Philip opened the door to show her.

            “That’s _my_ stuff.” Theo said and pushed past him to show him her room assignment papers.

            “Listen, Theo’s my roommate, as in, another boy.” Philip said.

            “ _I’m_ Theo.”

            “What?”

            “It’s short for Theodosia. My roommate is supposed to be Phillipa.” Theo replied and showed him the papers.

            “Phillipa? My name is Philip.” He looked at the papers in shock.

            The two looked at each other. “Wait…”

 

            The Resident Advisor’s name was Lee and he was a mess. So when two furious looking freshmen came up to him demanding another room, he gave up. It was only the first day of orientation but he was giving up.

            “I’m supposed to be in a room with another guy. How do you expect me to live with a girl...”

            “If my father, a _senator,_ hears about this he’ll be outraged. So I expect you change…”

            Lee held up a hand to shut them both up. He didn’t want to meet either of their parents; they were enough of a headache. “Listen, there aren’t enough rooms to switch around. You’re going to have to deal with it.”

            “Deal with it?” Philip and Theo exclaimed at the same time.

            “Deal with it.” Lee confirmed and walked away.

            Philip and Theo looked at each other helplessly. “I’m calling my father.” Theo said and turned on her heel in a huff.

            “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Philip said and dug out his cell phone to dial his father’s number.

 

            Both Hamilton and Burr turned right around when they got word their first-borns were in distress.

            Philip and Theo were standing outside the disputed dorm room when both of their father’s came storming down the hall from different ends.

            “Burr, I should’ve known you were up to something.” Alexander said when he saw his adversary.

            “Me? Alexander, please, how would I have any control over this?” Aaron replied.

            “Alexander, hush.” Eliza said. “Obviously there’s just been a misunderstanding. Have you talked to the advisor here?” She asked her son.

            “He just said to deal with it.”

            “He said there wasn’t enough dorms.” Theo added. “That’s him there.” She nodded towards Lee.

            Aaron grabbed the poor kid upon spotting him. “Listen to me, my daughter is not sharing a room with the likes of a Hamilton.” He said viciously.

            “Hey, my son is a perfectly educated gentleman.” Alex stepped in. “Frankly, I don’t trust your daughter. She is a Burr, after all.”

            “My daughter is smarter, politer, and more well adjusted than your son would ever hope to be, Hamilton.” Burr quickly redirected his anger back to Alexander.

            “I think we can agree both of our children are one of a kind. This doesn’t mean we have to argue in front of them.” Eliza said.

            “Stay out of this.” Alex said. “ _My_ son started playing the piano when he was four.” He challenged.

            “My daughter was bilingual before the age of ten.”

            “My son was top in his class every year since kindergarten.”

            “My daughter was valedictorian and given every academic achievement award her school had to offer.”

            “My son…”

            “Forget it!” Theo cried. “Geez we thought you’d guys solve it, not just argue over whose child is smartest.”

            “Yeah no kidding. I wouldn’t have called you if I knew this was going to happen.” Philip’s cheeks had turned red from embarrassment. “I mean people are watching, pops.”

            Alex and Aaron looked around and indeed there were a few freshman and their families observing the battle. Aaron cleared his throat and forced a smile. “Very well, we’re done arguing.”

            “For now.” Alexander muttered. He wasn’t about to let Burr get away with saying his daughter was better than his perfect son.

            “We can deal with rooming together.” Theo said. “I mean it’s not like we’re going to be here twenty-four-seven.”

            Philip nodded in agreement. “Right, we can stick it out.”

            “But…” Aaron looked lost.

            “Philip we can figure this out…” Alex said.

            “Love, they’ve made their choice. They’re adults.” Eliza said and put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Now let them get settled, we need to get the kids home.”

            Alex let her lead him away but he wasn’t done talking. “But she’s a Burr, Eliza!”

            Aaron looked like he didn’t want to leave without knowing his daughter would be in a Hamilton-free room. “Daddy, I said it’s okay.” Theo said.

            “But I can talk to the…”

            “Dad.” Theo gave him a look. “Go home, I’ll call you later tonight.” She said.

            Aaron sighed and gave in. He kissed his daughter’s forehead and gave Philip a threatening glare before heading back to his car.

            “So you’re a Burr?”

            “And you’re a Hamilton?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sort of pretending like the second Philip Hamilton doesn't exist. There are too many double names and I won't be able to make it clear enough. So to avoid confusion Philip only has six siblings in this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

            The room arrangement worked for a few weeks. Philip and Theo were so engrossed in lectures, new friends, and the city nightlife that they didn’t see each other much. And even if they were in the room at the same time, they kept to themselves. Philip would offer to get her a coffee sometimes and Theo asked if she could turn the AC up too. Other than the pleasantries, there wasn’t a lot to be said about the relationship.

            That is, until Philip started to slack off on cleaning his half of the room. He tried his best but he was starting to slip into his normal routine of leaving things on the floor and ignoring them for a few days.

            Theo returned back to the dorm from a class and promptly tripped on a pair of Philip’s sneakers. She caught herself before falling face first. She looked up and found her roommate reading on his bed.       

            “Were you planning on leaving those there all day?” She asked and set her bag down on her desk.

            Philip glanced up from the book and looked over to the shoes. “Oh, sorry. Yeah I’ll move them.”

            Theo sighed heavily. “You’re not a very clean person are you?”

            “No…not really.” Philip said, preoccupied with the book.

            She wasn’t satisfied with that. “We have to share this room, you cannot just leave things around like I’m not here.”

            Philip could sense the annoyance in her voice and lowered the book. “I said I was sorry, I’ll pick them up, it won’t happen again.”     

            “This isn’t the first time though. You have to…”

            “Oh just give me a break and spare me the lecture.” Philip set his book down and stood up. “I’m going out.” He slid on his sneakers. “Don’t wait up.”

            Theo fumed as she watched him leave without another glance. She was starting to think her father was right about the Hamiltons.

 

            “So how are your classes? Are you enjoying them?”

            “What? Oh yeah they’re fine.”

            “Pip, what are you looking at?” Angie waved a hand in front of her brother’s face.

            Philip sighed. “Sorry.” He apologized and set his coffee down. He and his sister were close, so he tried to make sure they spent time together even if he was in college.

            “Is something on your mind?” Angie asked.

            “It’s my roommate.” Philip admitted. “She keeps nagging me about cleaning up and whatever.”

            “Uh…well she’s a girl, I wouldn’t want to live with you either.”

            Philip looked confused. “I’m not _that_ messy.”

            “Mhm, well all I’m saying is that you need to respect her space and she’ll respect you back.” Angie said. “That’s the best advice I can give you.”

            “She’s so self-righteous about it though.” Philip protested weakly.

            “Because she’s forced to share a room with you.” His sister pointed out. “I’m sure if you had a problem with her you would be self-righteous about it too.”

            Philip made a face. “I hate when you’re right.” He grumbled.

            Angie smiled proudly. “I’m always right.” She said. “Besides, I know what this is really about.”

            “What do you mean?” Philip asked. “Really about what?”

            “I looked her up on Facebook, she’s pretty cute isn’t she?” Angie gave him a sly look.

            “Yeah but…wait what? No!” Philip startled when he realized what he said. “Why are you looking her up on Facebook?” He demanded.

            “Because I wanted to know what she looked like, Mom said she was beautiful. You’re all flustered because she’s pretty but she’s probably not swayed by your charm. Is that a first for you?”

            Philip rolled his eyes. “Angelica, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Yeah she’s attractive…maybe…I hadn’t noticed. Look, that’s not the point so I don’t know why you’re even bringing it up.”

            “Because you like her but she’s intimidating you.” Angie said and smirked. “I think it’s funny, I want to meet her.”

            “You’re not going to meet her I don’t trust you, you’re just going to say something embarrassing.” Philip replied firmly.

            “Like what? Philip is still scared of thunderstorms?” Angie teased.

            “Shut up.” Philip shook his head. “It’s not like you have nothing embarrassing about you.”

            “I wouldn’t care if you said that. It’s not like I’m in love with her.” Angie shrugged.

            “I’m not in love with her!” Philip protested.

            “You should write her a poem, I’m sure she’d love that.” She grinned.

            “Angelica, I’m done talking about this.” Philip said but of course his younger sister didn’t stop and started to make up her own poem in a dramatic voice. He thought about what she’d said though and decided to give Theo a break.

 

            One night, Theo came back to the dorm to find it empty. It wasn’t unusual; sometimes Philip would come in later than her. What was unusual was how clean his side of the room was. It was like some miracle.

            She set her bag down and noticed a note on her bed. She picked it up and started to read the messy handwriting.

            _This situation isn’t ideal_

_We’re closer than we want to be_

_But as far as I can see,_

_I’ll make it easier by being a little more clean_

_I wrote this, ten minutes before my class so be nice,_

_Philip_

Theo laughed softly and reread the note. She thought it was so goofy but it was a nice gesture and she had a hope that things could be better.


	3. Chapter 3

 

            It seemed for a while, that things would work out. Theo got a little more lighthearted after the poem he had left. And it helped that Philip was more mindful about picking up his things. But they still went after each other for little things. He still thought she was beautiful and continually made remarks at her to tease and make her blush. And Theo would make up little poems to mess with him. But then things got more serious when he started to notice her hanging around with another guy.

            It started when Philip caught sight of his roommate at the campus coffee shop. He went up to her and nudged her side. “Hey Theo.” He smiled but it faded when he saw she was waiting for her coffee next to a guy who was staring at him. “And…friend.” Philip added.

            “Uh…Philip this is, Ian.” Theo introduced them quickly. She looked at Philip giving him a look to not say anything embarrassing.

            “Nice to meet you…” Philip eyed Ian and instantly decided he didn’t like him. “So have a nice coffee date…I’ll see you later, Theo.” He stepped back to retreat and noticed Theo gave him a thankful nod. His cheeks burned up and he felt so dumb for interrupting. He ran a hand through his curls and accidentally left without even picking up his coffee.

            Theo felt a little guilty watching Philip leave. Then the barista called Philip’s name and she realized her roommate had left. “I should probably get this to him, he’d be upset knowing he forgot it.” She apologized to Ian and grabbed Philip’s coffee to run and find him. “Philip!” She called when she saw him down the sidewalk.

            Philip turned and groaned under his breath. He didn’t want Theo to see him so embarrassed. “Hey…oh shit, I completely forgot.” He said when he saw what she was carrying. “Thank you so much.” He said gratefully.

            “I figured you would never forgive me if I just left it.” Theo smiled and shrugged. “You owe me one.”

            Philip chuckled and took the cup from her. “Fair enough. Can’t take you out to dinner though, your boyfriend would get the wrong idea.”

            “Ian’s not my boyfriend.” Theo rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you’re being so defensive about it.”

            “I’m being defensive?” Philip raised an eyebrow. “Look, it’s fine, just…make sure I’m not around if you bring him back to the room.”

            Theo scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “For God’s sake…”

            “What? It’s a valid request. I don’t wanna walk into anything uncomfortable for the both of us.” Philip replied. “Don’t give me that look.”

            “I’m not giving you any look.” Theo narrowed her eyes at him. “Stop being gross and grow up.”

            “Why are you acting so weird?” Philip asked. “You can date whoever you want, Theo, but I just don’t want to see you guys…doing things ten feet from my bed.”

            “He’s not my boyfriend!”

            “You don’t have to lie to me. I don’t care, I just didn’t take you for a girl who likes guys like him.” Philip tried to explain himself.

            “Guys like him? You just met him, how do you know what he’s like? You know what, whatever.” Theo didn’t want to waste her energy on arguing with him. “You don’t know who I like, you barely know me, we’re just roommates.”

            “I thought you liked me.” Philip teased with a playful smile.

            “And what kind of guy are you?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

            “I’m a poet.” Philip winked at her. Theo rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but laugh at his answer. She knew it was true but it was funny to hear him say it so confidently.

            “Look, all I’m saying is I don’t think he’s a great guy. Sure, I just met him but c’mon…I’ve got these intuitions.” Philip said.

            Theo was surprised to hear the sincerity in his voice. “Well…thanks for your intuitions, but I can take care of myself.” She assured him. “We’re not even dating, he just asked to go out for coffee with me.”

            “I know. Just…letting you know.” Philip stepped back and smiled weakly. “That’s my simple advice. I won’t bother you anymore about it, go enjoy your date.” He turned to walk down the sidewalk.

            Something had changed for Theo and she couldn’t help but notice it. She couldn’t be mad at him for doing something as caring as looking out for her. She was independent but knowing that he was looking out for her made her feel…special. “I was going to get dinner out later, will you come with me?” She stepped towards him to stop him from walking away from her.

            Philip turned around. “Hm…yeah I guess I could clear out my plans of watching Netflix.” He smirked.

            Theo rolled her eyes. “Wow, I’m so glad that you’re prioritizing your friend.”

            “So you are my friend?” Philip asked playfully.

            “You’re silly to think that we aren’t friends. I mean, we live together, it’s not a sitcom but we can be nice to each other.”

            “It _could_ be a sitcom though.” Philip grinned and made Theo giggle.

            “You’re the worse, Philip Hamilton.”

            “But at least I’m your friend.” He winked. “Thanks for getting my coffee, I’ll see you tonight. Tell Ian, I say hi.” He added before walking away.

 

            “So do you know why our dad’s don’t like each other?”

            Philip and Theo were out at a pizza place sitting by the window. The sun was setting; the weeks were turning into the darker winter evenings. They were waiting for their food and Theo decided to bring up a question she’d been wondering for a bit. She had tried to ask her father but he only bad mouth the Hamilton family.

            “I guess it’s probably some political conflicts.” Philip suggested. “My dad doesn’t go into much detail if I ask him.”

            “Neither does mine. I don’t know, your mom seemed nice the first day.” Theo said.

            “Yeah she’s the best.” Philip smiled. “I have six siblings too, they weren’t there when you were.”

            “Six?” Theo’s eyes widened. “That’s…sort of my dream.” She admitted. “I’m the only child and it’s lonely, especially with my mom gone.”

            Philip’s smile disappeared. “Oh…sorry, I didn’t know that…”

            “It’s fine.” Theo faked a smile. “Are you the oldest?” She didn’t want to talk to him about her mother; she never wanted to talk about her.

            “Yeah, Liza is the youngest, she’s two.” Philip noticed how quickly she had diverted attention away from her deceased mother. He supposed he couldn’t blame her, he couldn’t imagine losing his mom.

            “Aw, she must be adorable.” Theo cooed. “That must’ve been so much fun to watch them all grow up. You always have a friend…right?” She asked having never experienced a sibling.

            “Yeah I guess. They can be loud and nosy though. But I love them.” Philip pulled up a picture of the Hamiltons on his phone. “So that’s my oldest sister, Angie, then that’s AJ, James, JC, Will, and my mom is holding Liza. I think she was probably one then.

            “Who are those women?” Theo took in the picture, smiling at how much the siblings all looked alike and how happy they looked together.

            “Oh those are my aunts, Peggy and Angelica. They’re close to our family.” Philip shrugged. “You should meet my family if you’ve wanted a sibling so badly.”

            Theo opened her mouth to agree but bit her lip. “I don’t know if my dad would like that.” She said and handed his phone back to him.

            “My dad wouldn’t like it either but my mom and siblings would like it, so who cares?” Philip shrugged. “Honestly, the feud between our fathers is silly. That doesn’t have to affect us.”

            Theo was unsure. She didn’t know how he could be so defiant towards his father; she was never like that towards Aaron. Respect was a big deal in her house. “I would like to meet them.” Theo said again.

            Philip smiled at her. “C’mon, just visit one weekend, you’d like them and they’d love you. Angie will probably want to be your best friend.” He warned playfully.

            Theo chuckled. “Thank you, Philip.” She said gently. “But maybe I should talk to my father first.”

            Philip wanted to say something to encourage her to be a little rebellious but he didn’t. He didn’t want to make her upset. “Fair enough.” He said and cleared his throat. “So how did coffee with Ian go?” He asked curiously.

            “Oh…fine.” Theo didn’t meet his eyes and just shrugged.

            “Yeah?” Philip looked a little suspicious. “Will there be a second date?” He figured that would be the best way to figure out how it went.

            “No, I don’t think so.” Theo swirled her straw around in her drink and focused on it like it was extremely interesting.

            “That’s a shame.”

            “Is it? You didn’t like him, remember?” Theo questioned.

            “But that shouldn’t affect your decision, you’re independent remember?” Philip quoted her.

            Theo sighed out of frustration. “I hate you.” She replied and looked up at him.

            Philip gave her a slight smile. “Look, friends are supposed to look out for each other, right?”          

            “Right…”

            “So I’m looking out for you.” Philip said simply. He held out a fist to her. “Deal?”

            Theo bit her lip and smiled slightly. “Deal.” She bumped fists with him lightly.


	4. Chapter 4

            For the rest of their freshman year, Philip and Theo became good friends. He would ask her to meet his family but she always had an excuse. Philip didn’t take it too personally though because he understood her fears. Alexander constantly checked in with him to make sure the Burr girl wasn’t asking about family secrets or political strategies. Aaron was taking the same precautions making sure Philip wasn’t taking advantage of his daughter.

 

            They regularly went out together, talked about how crazy their dads could be sometimes, their classes, and just about each other. By the time May rolled around it seemed Theo and Philip knew more about each other than they knew about most of their friends. But the year ended and they had to go back home.

            Philip left the dorm first. He said goodbye to Theo and they hugged. For Theo it was a melancholy moment. She knew they were both moving into their separate apartments next year and in a way that made her sad. She’d gotten used to having someone sleeping a few feet away, someone who she could go to, confide in, and have there almost every day. Philip was there for her more than anyone and she couldn’t imagine living without him over the summer and then again the next school year. When he left, she looked at his empty side of the dorm. It looked so lonely without Philip’s sneakers by the bed, his pictures of his family up on his desk, his familiar striped comforter, and his presence.

            That’s when she noticed a note had been left on Philip’s mattress. Theo walked over to pick it up.

            _Goodbye sweet Theo,_

_But not for good_

_We still have three more years together_

_And that couldn’t sound any better_

_To a poet who has found his muse_

            Philip left knowing he loved Theo. Maybe he didn’t really know what love was but when he looked at her, he had a pretty good idea. He just needed to tell her how he felt…an he only had eight weeks to do so.

 

 

 

 

            Labor day was nearing and Philip had just one more week before he started his sophomore year. It was his last week with Angie too as she began her freshman year at Harvard. Alexander was, in a way, upset but he couldn’t say no to her going to a good law school. It was only one more week until he moved out of the student dorms and into his own apartment with a few friends. It was a little upsetting because he wasn’t going to be in a dorm with Theo anymore.

            He’d gone a whole summer without seeing Theo. Aaron had brought her on a four-week tour of Europe and then to a Burr family reunion across the country. It was like he was trying to keep her and Philip apart. But, they had texted and skyped to keep in touch. And now Philip had a plan to see her before the busy life of college resumed.

            “We should go to the Vineyard for the weekend.”

            “Oh, honey, it’ll be awfully crowded because of the holiday.” Eliza replied to her son’s suggestion.

            “Yeah but, it would be fun, right? Just one more trip together as a family before Angie and I leave for school.”

            Eliza eyed him. “Were you planning on inviting someone along?”

            “Oh…well I guess, we have enough rooms.” He shrugged like he hadn’t thought of it.

            Eliza could see right through him though. “I’ll ask your father.”

            Philip grinned. “Alright, awesome.” Then he went to go ask Theo over the phone.

           

            “So some friends invited me to go to Martha’s Vineyard with them.” Theo brought up casually at dinner the same night after Philip had called her.

            “Oh? Friends I know?”

            “Well…Philip invited me to go with his family.” There was no use in lying; she knew he would find out one way or another.

            “Theodosia…”

            “I haven’t seen him all summer and I want to do something before school starts.” Theo explained.

            “I assumed that once you got your own apartment this year you wouldn’t need to spend time with him.” Aaron replied prickly.

            “We’re friends, friends spend time together.” Theo said with a shrug.

            “He’s trying to use you.” Aaron insisted. “He’s acting nice but eventually he’ll take advantage of you. He knows you come from a well off family.” He voiced his concerns.

            “He’s from a well off family too, I don’t think he cares.” Theo muttered and glared at her plate.

            “The Burr name is a sophisticated and respected name in this country’s history. Alexander Hamilton is an immigrant who clawed his way to political power. There’s a difference.”

            “I don’t see a difference when all of your political friends are crooked anyways!” Theo snapped.

            “Theodosia Burr, watch your tone.” Aaron warned.

            “I’m going.” Theo’s voice lowered but remained firm.

            “Fine, but I’ll be calling his parents to make sure they’re watching you two.”

 

 

            “Mrs. Hamilton, your house is beautiful.” Theo said in awe as they walked up to the door. The house was right on the beach and big enough to fit the whole Hamilton family and a few guests. It was an old fashioned but Eliza kept it updated, clean, and looking new.

            Eliza smiled. “Thank you, it’s been in the family for a few generations.”           “Yeah, ghosts live here.” JC exclaimed with a grin.

            “We don’t have ghosts, shut up.” Philip scolded.

            “That’s alright, I’m used to ghosts. A woman in white haunts my house.” Theo replied with a spooky grin.

            “Wait really?” JC looked concerned.

            “Yeah hopefully the woman didn’t follow Theo here.” Philip played along to scare his younger brother.

            “Shut up Philip, ghosts don’t do that.” JC snapped but he looked at Theo like there _was_ a ghost trailing behind her.

            “John Hamilton, don’t talk to your brother like that. Theo’s our guest and I expect you to be on your best behavior.” Eliza said when she heard JC talk back. “Alexander and I are going to get started on dinner. The other kids are playing outside, Philip, why don’t you go out with them.”

            “Aw mom, Theo and I were going to hang out though.”

            “Philip Hamilton you wanted to go on a family vacation…” Eliza reminded him with a raised eyebrow.

            “C’mon, you don’t want to hang out with your siblings?” Theo asked. “Let’s go play with them, you’re going back to school soon.” She scolded lightly.

            Philip sighed. “You’re right, let’s go.” He smiled sheepishly.

            Eliza looked impressed. “I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.” She said and went to the kitchen.

            Alexander noticed his wife walk in with a smile on her face. “Something good happen?” He asked.

            “I guess. I just realized I just really like Theo.” Eliza shrugged and went back to preparing dinner by her husband’s side. “She’s a respectable girl.”

            “Hm, you think a lot of people are respectable who aren’t.” Alexander replied.

            “I have a good judge of character.” Eliza protested. “You’re just too cynical. You know a last name doesn’t mean much.”

            “It means everything in politics.” He corrected.

            “Just wait, you’ll see that she’s a good person.” Eliza pecked him on the cheek and turned to open the fridge.

            “Mhm, we’ll see.”

 

 

 

            “Mom, Theo and I are going for a walk.” Philip said and opened the back door for her. It was after dinner and Philip needed some alone time with Theo away from his family. She had gotten along perfectly with his siblings and all of them instantly took a liking to her right back. She was polite, had a good sense of humor, and even engaged Alexander in conversation. Philip was sure if he were having dinner with the Burr family, he would be too afraid to try to talk to Aaron.

            “Okay, don’t stay out too late, it’s getting dark.” Eliza replied from the kitchen.

            “No problem!” Philip stepped out and found Theo already walking down the narrow trail to the beach. He smiled slightly and jogged a few strides to catch up with her.

            Theo reached the sound and bent down to take her sandals off. She set them aside and dug her feet into the sand. The warmth from the day was still lingering in it and she sighed at the cozy feeling it gave her.

            Philip took off his shoes too and rolled up the bottom of his khakis. “I’ve been coming here every summer since I was born but it never gets old.” He said. “I guess you can’t get bored of the ocean because it’s always changing.”

            Theo glanced over at him with a smile. “You can’t turn off the poetry talk can you?” She teased light heartedly.

            Philip chuckled and started walking towards the water. “Not without really trying, no.”

            Theo laughed softly and shook her head. It was nice to be with her old roommate again. She felt at ease with Philip by her right side. “So your summer was good?” She asked.

            “It was…okay.” Philip shoved a hand in his pocket. “Didn’t do much except read on the beach. I got through four poetry collections before I realized I should probably write some of my own stuff.”

            “Did you write a lot?” Theo wondered.

            “Uh…yeah a little.” That was a complete lie. Philip had attempted to write but it seemed like nothing was there to inspire him. It was like he’d wrote so much in school that it had all run out. He glanced over and realized there was a poem walking right next to him.

            Theo’s hair was loose and the wild curls were dancing in the breeze like there was music in the air. Her face looked calm, her dark brown eyes focused on her feet splashing elegantly through the ocean water. She walked with confidence that only added to her beauty.

            Philip didn’t notice he was staring until Theo looked over at him. “What are you staring at?” She asked with a small smile.

            “Oh, uh…nothing.” He averted his eyes quickly. “So uh…any European boyfriends?” He asked. It had tortured him over the summer knowing Theo could’ve been seduced by some attractive, bilingual Italian or French or God forbid, British guy.

            Theo just laughed. “With my dad there? Yeah right.”

            Philip made a sound of relief under his breath. “Oh darn.”

            “What about you? There must’ve been a lot of tan, beautiful girls after you.” Theo said a bit bitterly. She could just picture some sorority girl flirting with Philip.

            “No, I didn’t go out much.” He shrugged. “Besides, I was too busy texting you.” He pointed out slyly.

            “Oh right…” Theo’s cheeks went red. “Well, after a few museums it gets a bit boring, my dad wanted to analyze every American and French Revolution painting and artifact.” She sighed. “You were my escape from all of that.”

            Philip couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. It was almost like he was her hero…in a very minor way. “Well, that’s what best friends are for.”

            Theo just hummed in agreement and knelt down to pick up a shell that was partly buried in the sand.

            “So, uh…I kind of wanted to talk to you about something.” Philip watched her run a thumb over the ridges of the pink and cream shell.

            “I assumed you wanted to, a long walk on the beach seemed a little suspicious to me.” Theo said with a smirk and stood up again. She dusted the sand off the shell before pocketing in her jeans. “What is it?”

            “Well,” Philip tried to sort his words like he was writing a poem, “it’s going to be different not being roommates this year.”

            “Things won’t change that much, we’ll still be close.” Theo assured him. “You don’t have to worry about me disappearing from your life.”

            “Right, and that’s great, really it is. But, I was hoping we could uh…be even closer. Could I take you out for a date?” Philip stopped walking to face her and make sure she knew he was being serious.

            “Oh…” Theo looked lost for words as she looked at him.

            “Not here…this week I mean, maybe when school starts?” Philip continued a bit swayed that she hadn’t said yes or no right away. “When you’re settled into your apartment of course.”

            “Philip…”

            “And I’m settled in…”

            “Philip…”

            “Somewhere close to campus…”

            “Please just…”

            “Nothing fancy…”

            “No.” Theo finally said with a nervous look on her face.

            Philip felt like the world had stopped turning. He wasn’t sure she was going to say yes but he was really betting on it. He wanted nothing more than to take her out to dinner, catch up with her properly, talk about how he felt for her, and maybe moving their relationship forward. But that one little word erased all hope. “Okay…” He finally got himself to speak.

            “Let me explain…”

            “No, you don’t have to explain yourself.” Philip shook his head and tried to seem okay about the rejection. “It’s fine, really.”

            “Let me explain.” Theo said again and looked him in the eyes. “You’re a wonderful person, Philip. I had fun last year and I really do consider you a great friend. But you have to understand the obstacles against us being any closer than that.”

            “No, Theo I don’t…”

            “Yes you do.” Theo insisted. “Our fathers would much rather see us hate each other than be a couple. I don’t want that to put a strain on us. It would just be easier to remain friends.”

            Philip forced a smile. “You’re right.” He said though he didn’t really believe that. “You’re totally right, we should stay friends. We both don’t need the drama with our families.”

            Theo smiled a bit sympathetically. “Thank you for understanding, Philip.” She said softly and kissed his cheek.

            “Philip, Theo, it’s getting late, you should come in!” Eliza called from the back porch.

            “C’mon, I promised Liza at dinner that I would read her a bedtime story.” Theo said and started to walk back to the house.

            Philip held back and watched her for a moment. She had completely disabled him without even trying. His heart felt bruised and the kiss burned painfully on his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing against British guys I was just making an American revolution 'joke'. I gotta stop being so Hamiltonesque. Also unlike Philip I am NOT a poet so these little poems he leaves and will leave for Theo aren't going to be good at all. They will probably sound like a fifth grader wrote them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone who has favorited and commented on this fic. The comments were so nice and they made my day! I was a bit afraid to post this fic because it's my first Hamilton one but I'm blown away by the response. I hope you all like this new chapter!

            Philip stood outside of his father’s office. He was back home from the most disappointing trip of his life. It was even worse than being crammed between his siblings in a car on a road trip and listening to them complain and cry for four hours. He had been unusually quiet the rest of the vacation and no one in his family seemed to know why.

            Eliza asked if something had happened with Theo but Philip just shrugged her off. They dropped Theo off at her father’s house and she hugged him close. It was like she wanted to hurt him more, but Philip knew she was just being nice.

            Now the Hamiltons were back home and Philip finally wanted to speak his mind to his father. He looked into the room he wasn’t allowed to go in as a child. He had vivid memories of trying to get into the locked room but Eliza would usher him away.

            “Daddy’s working.” That was always her explanation.

            The bookshelves were full of books from every era of history it seemed. The last shelf was dedicated to his father’s books that he had published in the last decade or so. Philip read some of them but they were mostly about politics and finances so he got bored quickly. Instead, he liked reading some of the letters his parents exchanged as young boyfriend and girlfriend. Their language was so loving and poetic; it made Philip wonder how his father could have such a serious side with so much love for his mother. Alexander was getting better though, Eliza was starting to remind him more that he couldn’t miss out on his children’s’ lives. Now little Liza or Will was allowed to toddle into the room and sit on Alexander’s lap while he worked. Philip would sometimes pass by and hear his father talking gently to his youngest siblings. It made him jealous, like he was still the young child being scolded for knocking on the office doors and interrupting Alexander’s work.

            Philip hadn’t noticed that he was standing in the office doorway, staring at the floor wordlessly. Alexander had looked up and seen his eldest son. He set his pen down and cleared his throat. “Did you need something, son?” He asked.

            The young man looked up a bit startled. “Oh…yeah.” He shook his head to push away the thoughts. He was there for something else. “I wanted to talk to you about Theo.”

            Alexander picked his pen up again and continued to write. “It was nice to have her over for vacation.” He said. “She seems like an intelligent girl.”

            “She is...she’s really smart, lot smarter than me. So, we were talking on the beach.”

            “I hope you guys were just talking.” Alexander said in a warning tone. “Burr called me to make sure you two weren’t doing anything you weren’t supposed to be doing.”

            Philip took a deep breath. “That’s my problem.” He started his rant. “You and Mr. Burr hate each other so much that it ruins my relationship with Theo!”

            Alexander looked up in surprise. “Philip…”

            “No, dad, I want to talk before you do. I put everything on the line to tell her how I felt. I really like her and maybe I’m too young to be in love but I think I really love her too. But she was smart and told me that we could be a couple but it would be terrible because of our fathers. You can’t stand the fact that I might be in love with the daughter of your enemy, but why does that have to ruin my chances with her?” He demanded. “Your problems with Mr. Burr are _your_ problems, not mine.”

            Alexander looked at his son and felt his heart sink. He didn’t want to hear that Philip _loved_ Theodosia Burr, but he could see it was not a joke. From the day Philip was born, Alexander wanted nothing but happiness for him. What kind of father was he to interrupt a chance at being happy? “Does she make you happy?” He asked.

            “Of course.” Philip said. “Honestly, this summer sucked because she wasn’t around.”

            Alexander sighed deeply and shifted a few papers around his desk mindlessly. “I will place a call to Aaron.” He said. “I can’t control how he reacts but you don’t have to worry about me. If you want to date her, you can. I won’t say anything, I won’t do anything, and I will be proud of you.”

            Philip blinked a few times. He didn’t know what he was expecting but he was thinking his stubborn father would resist. “You will?” He asked breathlessly.

            “If it means you’ll be happy of course.” He replied.

            “Thank you so much, pops.” Philip finally smiled. “You have no idea…this is…thank you so much.”

            “I can’t promise Burr will be as willing to accept it as I am though.” Alexander warned. “But you’re welcome. Now go finish packing for school.” He said. “Your mother said you were procrastinating.”

            Philip nodded and went to his room, passing his mother in the hallway. Eliza walked into the office and kissed her husband on the cheek.

            “What?” Alexander asked with a slight smile.

            “Let’s just say I wasn’t trying to hear everything you said.” She said and wrapped her arms around him.

            “Spy.” He accused teasingly.

            “Nothing goes by me in my house.” Eliza reminded him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I have to thank you too, you’re making our son happy.”

            “She might be a good match for him. She’s smart…what is she studying again?”

            “Medicine, she told me she wants to be a pediatrician.” Eliza answered.

            “Hm…not bad.” Alexander nodded. “Alright,” he kissed his wife’s hand, “I have to call someone regarding this matter.”

 

            “Alexander, what an unexpected surprise.” Aaron answered his phone. “I hope your vacation went well.”

            “It went great, thank you.” Alexander answered. “Your daughter is a pleasure to have around, she’s very well spoken.”

            Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Oh…well thank you.” He said, honestly not expecting such a compliment from his rival.

            “Philip spoke to me about their relationship.” He continued.

            “Relationship?”

            “We both can’t ignore the fact that they are close.” Alexander said. “As much as we don’t want to admit it.”

            “I can ignore it as much as I want.” Aaron grumbled. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “But I suppose you’re right.”

            “Your daughter makes my son happy, Burr, I can’t deny that and I can’t change that.”        

            Aaron was quiet for a moment. “Okay…I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t know if your son makes my daughter happy.”

            “I’m not saying he does. All I’m saying is if they want to date then we need to support them, I think. I uh…I don’t know. Aaron, I want my son to be happy.”

            “I’ll consider talking to Theodosia.” Aaron replied. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

            “Think about it, maybe they’re a good match. My son is a good man and I think your daughter is very intelligent and kind.”

            “You don’t have to convince me, Alexander, I’ll make my own decision, thank you.”

 

 

Angie Hamilton is online

 

Angie Hamilton: I heard dad is giving you the green light to Theoville

Philip Hamilton: Who’ve you been listening in on? You need to mind your own business.

Angie Hamilton: Mom told me, for God’s sake it’s not like I’m some stranger to you

Philip Hamilton: You’re a Harvard girl now, you’re more of a stranger than the next person walking down the street :P

Angie Hamilton: You and dad will never get over the fact I didn’t continue the Columbia tradition huh?

Philip Hamilton: Not for a few decades, no

Angie Hamilton: Great

Angie Hamilton: Well, I’m glad you and Theo can date now. You two seem good together and I really like her. She probably tells you you’re a dork when you’re being one

Philip Hamilton: It’s not like we’re automatically dating. She still needs to say yes, and that might never happen.

Angie Hamilton: Pft, what a Negative Nancy

Philip Hamilton: Shut up, I’m a Realistic Rhonda. You’re being a Sarcastic Sandra

Angie Hamilton: You’re being a dork, I should tell Theo so she can yell at you

Philip Hamilton: We’re not roommates anymore, she can’t yell at me at the drop of a dime anymore

Angie Hamilton: Have you visited her at her new place?

Philip Hamilton: Not yet, she’s still settling in.

Angie Hamilton: Oh the excuses….

Angie Hamilton: Seriously just go over and see her. She probably wants to see you, stupid.

Philip Hamilton: Don’t call me stupid, stupid.

Angie Hamilton: Promise me you’ll go see her?

Philip Hamilton: Yeah, yeah, I’ll go see her. Don’t you have some studying to do?

Angie Hamilton: My classes haven’t even started. I have to go, if you haven’t seen Theo by the next time we talk I’m coming to smack you in the head.

Philip Hamilton: That’s my violent sister

Angie Hamilton: I mean it. Now, get going, I love you, Pip

Philip Hamilton: Love you too, Ange


	6. Chapter 6

            Theo finished pushing the nightstand into place and wiped a sheet of sweat off her forehead. She straightened up and looked around her new room at her new apartment. It was bigger than her dorm room and seemed a little emptier. “I just need to put more stuff in.” She said to herself quietly.

            “What’s that?” Aaron asked as he walked in with Theo’s last box.

            “Nothing, just talking to myself.” She smiled and peered into the box when her father set it down on the bed. She took out a framed picture of her as a child in her mother’s arms.

            Aaron saw and felt the usual ache in his heart when he saw his dear Theodosia. He missed her so much; it never got easier to see her beautiful face. “You look more and more like her every single day.” He said gently.

            Theo’s lower lip quivered a bit. “Daddy…” She put the picture on her nightstand so she could hug him.

            “I’m alright.” Aaron assured her, but hugged her back anyways. “She would be so proud of you.” He wasn’t sure he could say the same about himself though. Would Theodosia be happy that he wanted to prevent the Hamilton boy from dating their daughter? Of course not, she would give Aaron that pouting frown that always got him, and tell him off. He could just picture how she would scold him. He knew he would give anything just to be in trouble with his Theodosia. He took too many things for granted and now she was gone, never to smile at him, frown at him, or laugh with him. Aaron knew that heartbreak was inevitable if Theo dated Philip, but who was he to keep that from his child? To fall so deeply in love that it practically disables you when it ends. That was truly living.

            Theo pulled away from the hug and looked at her dad. “What?” She asked when she noticed he was thinking.

            “Mr. Hamilton called me about Philip.” Aaron said and gently took her hands in his.

            “Oh…okay.” Theo looked confused.

            “He said Philip may have asked you on a date?”

            “He did…you don’t have to worry though, we’re still just friends.” Theo was quick to clarify that.

            “I understand. But, if that ever changes, know that Mr. Hamilton and I will try to be as supportive as we can. If he makes you happy as a friend or something more, that’s all I want.” Aaron took a deep breath. He was going against everything he wanted for Theo but in the back of his mind he saw Theodosia smiling, and he knew he’d done the right thing.

 

 

 

            Philip’s finger hesitated over the button. It would buzz him up to Theo’s apartment if he pushed it. He’d have to face Theo again if he pushed it. He’d have to be reminded that the beautiful young woman wasn’t his if he pushed it.

            He pushed it.

            “Yeah?” Even over a crappy speaker system, he could tell it was her.

            “Hey, it’s your ex-roommate here to beg for you back.” Philip joked.

            Theo laughed and unlocked the front door. “C’mon in Philip.” She said.

            Philip entered into the apartment building and walked up the stairs to the third floor. By the time he got to Theo’s floor she had opened the door and was standing out in the hall waiting for him.

            “So, you’ve come crawling back huh?” Theo teased. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her hip out.

            Philip grinned and walked down to her. “I can’t bear being at Columbia without knowing I have you to go home to every night.” He replied.

            She giggled and opened her door wider. “C’mon in.” She said. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

            Philip followed her in and took a look around the nice place. “Well I figured you needed some time to settle in.” He shrugged.

            “Four weeks?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him.

            “Yeah…well I needed to settle in too.” Philip made an excuse weakly. He rubbed the back of his neck and continued to look around the apartment. “This place is nice, lot cleaner than ours.”

            “I don’t understand how your apartment could _already_ be messy.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head in disappointment.

            “Well to be fair, I’m probably the cleanest.” Philip said proudly. He knew it was because of Theo picking on him last year about leaving things on the floor. It had no doubt stuck with him. “But four guys in one place creates mess, that’s inevitable.”

            “I guess.” Theo sighed and smiled. “Just don’t expect me to come over often.” She warned.

            “I can live with that, I’ll just come over here more often.” Philip’s face lit up when he saw a piano tucked in the TV room. “Hey, would you look at that?”

            “Oh yeah, one of my roommates plays.” She shrugged.

            “Not just your roommate, your ex-roommate plays too.” Philip said and sat down at the piano bench.

            “No way.” Theo shook her head in disbelief. “There’s no way, you play the piano.”

            “How much you wanna bet?” Philip raised an eyebrow at her and smirked a bit. He let his fingers hover over the keys tauntingly.

            “I’m not betting you anything. You’re a man of mysterious talents, I would never bet against you on something like this.” Theo sat down next to him. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

            Philip smiled and began to play. It was some nondescript song Eliza had taught him. It was easy enough to remember but the careful melody sounded intricate and fragile. He concentrated in on what he was doing, his curls falling over his face. He was so distracted until he felt Theo rest her head on his shoulder. It made him mess up and create a few sour notes. He cleared his mind for a second and found the music in his head again.

            “My mom taught me.” Philip said and let his hand slow down a bit to create a quieter song. “She’d put her hands over mine but I’d always change the melody. She’d get frustrated but then she’d just start laughing.” He smiled at the memories.

            Theo smiled too. “I can imagine you being so mischievous as a child.” She agreed.

            “And you were probably a goody two shoes.” Philip teased. “But here we are now.” He shrugged, moving Theo’s head a bit.

            She straightened up and turned a bit on the bench to look at him. “We should talk.”

            “What have we been doing for the last ten minutes?”

            “No I mean, really talk, about…well, you know what.” Theo gave him a look but he was staring at the piano keys as he continued to play. “My dad talked to me about how your dad called him. Did you talk to your dad?” She asked.

            Philip cleared his throat and shrugged. “Yeah I might have said a few words to him about it.” He mumbled.

            “Philip…why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

            His fingers continued to glide over the keys and the only sounds that came as an answer were music notes.

            “Philip…” Theo reached over to put her hands over his and stop him from playing.

            “Because we already talked about it, Theo!” Philip snapped and stood up, pulling his hands away from hers. “You told me how you felt and that was the end of it.”

            “But you lied to me saying you were okay with it!” Theo replied. “How was I supposed to know that you weren’t okay with it when you said you were?”

            “I don’t know, I just…” Philip groaned and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Look, I only talked to my dad because of my own family issues. It wasn’t about you and I, it was about making a point to him.” He lied.

            “So then why did he call my dad?” Theo asked.

            “I don’t know, he decided to do that himself!”

            “Philip, you’re lying to me.” Theo said firmly. “Just tell me how you really feel!” She begged.

            Philip stood in the space between the doorway and the piano. He could just walk out, not tell Theo anything, and come back weeks later to pretend like nothing had happened. He could just keep his feelings inside like he normally did, brush it off as a joke, and tell her to forget about it. She would date other guys and he’d be the loyal best friend, always by her side. He shook his head. Yeah right. “I love you.” He blurted.

            Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?” She stammered. “You mean, you love me as a friend right?”

            “No, Theo, I adore you.” Philip tried to pretend he wasn’t talking, he was writing a poem to her. “Your personality, your charm, your beauty, it’s all so attractive to me. I know I hide behind jokes and sarcasm but this time I’m serious. Being without you over the summer was torture, I couldn’t write a single freaking poem because you weren’t there. You’re my muse…and as a poet I love my muse and I want her to stay in my life. Theo, I talked to my dad because you said that was one of the reasons we couldn’t be together. I wanted that reason gone so there was nothing but an opportunity to date. But if you still don’t want to…I understand. Just know that I’ll always be there for you as a friend. Even if we’re dating or not, I’ll always be your friend.”

            Theo stood up and walked over to him. “Philip…” She tried to speak but she knew her words wouldn’t compare to his. So she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I just wanted to thank everyone for the kudos and comments. It just brightens my day. If you ever want to request something, please let me know and I'd be happy to do what I can! Enjoy this chapter!

            “Philip and Theo kissing in a tree, k-i-s-s…”

            “James, shut up!” AJ looked up from his phone to his younger brother.

            It was breakfast time in the Hamilton household and the most important meal of the day was always the toughest. It was even worse without Philip and Angie off to school, they were normally an extra pair of hands for Eliza. Unfortunately for Alexander, the loss of his two eldest meant he was now required to stay for breakfast. Normally he took his food to go for a very good reason.

            Now Liza was trying to put jam in his hair, Will was refusing to eat his food, James had begun to sing at the top of his lungs, and AJ threatened him with a heavy book. “Eliza!” Alexander called for back up and partially hid behind his morning newspaper.

            Eliza walked into the breakfast nook and set down James’s breakfast. “Elizabeth, that doesn’t go in daddy’s hair, William if you don’t eat there will be no snacks for you, James sit down and eat, Alexaner Jr. leave your brother alone.” She rambled off. She looked over at JC, the last child left, but he was contently reading and eating, ignoring his siblings. “What’s this I hear about Theo and Philip?” She asked and sat down next to Liza to clean up the little girl’s face.

            “They’re dating.” AJ explained.

            “What?” Alexander set down his paper.

            “Yeah it was on Instagram.” James said with a mouthful of food.

            “Insta…why are you on Instagram?” Alexander questioned. He looked over at Eliza who just shrugged. “Instagram.” He scoffed. “You’d think he’d tell us first.”

            “Oh he’s probably just embarrassed to. He knows we’d make a big fuss out of it.” Eliza sighed.

            “Damn straight I’ll make a fuss.” Alexander muttered.

            “Daddy said a swear!” Will crowed happily.

            “Yes he did and what happens when he does?” Eliza raised an eyebrow at her husband.

            “Seriously?” Alexander groaned and reached into his pocket to dig his wallet out. He pulled out a quarter and gave it to his wife.

            “Into the swear jar.” Eliza said and stood up to deposit the quarter into the Hamilton’s third swear jar. The other two filled up fast once the rule was implemented.

 

            Philip groaned. “There’s no such thing as secrets in my house.”

            He was on the couch in Theo’s apartment watching a movie with his new girlfriend. He was in heaven until he received the text message. Theo was curled up with him, resting on his chest, her legs tangled with his. He could feel her heart beating and feel the vibration from her laughter. He didn’t want to move an inch for as long as he lived because he was in new girlfriend paradise. And then the text from AJ came in.

            “What happened?” Theo shifted over so she could look up at him.

            “My parents found out.”

            “Well they were bound to eventually.” Theo shrugged. “It’s not the end of the world.”

            “Maybe not for you. But I’m going to get raked through the coals because I didn’t tell them right away.” Philip groaned and wrapped his arms around Theo. “Save me from my parents’ wrath.” He begged.

            Theo giggled and got eye level with him. “I think you’re overreacting.” She gave him a look.           

            Philip pouted and batted his eyelashes. “Kiss me to make me feel better anyways?” He asked playfully.

            “You’re the worst.” She rolled her eyes and kissed him softly.

            Although they’d only been dating for a few weeks or so, Philip felt like he knew Theo on an even deeper level than he had before. It partly had to do with all the kissing they’d been doing. Theo wouldn’t let Philip leave without at least three or four goodnight kisses, Philip had a habit of pushing her up against walls to kiss her out of the blue, Theo liked pulling him away from something to reacquaint their lips, and Philip was damn good at distracting her from studying. Their friends thought it was nauseating.

            But Philip couldn’t have cared less. He was on cloud nine getting to explore Theo further. But she stopped him from going any further than a make out session and a few out of place hands. And Philip was respectful of that. He didn’t want to be the rogue Hamilton who took advantage of the Burr girl like Aaron would think he would. Besides, it was enough for him to run his fingers through her curly hair, feel her warmth pressed against him, and the feeling of her soft skin a million times.

            Theo pulled away when she heard Philip’s phone chime again. He made another sound of discontent and read the text from his brother out loud. “’Dad’s having a state party, wants you and Theo to go.’ Excellent, it just gets better.” He said sarcastically and tossed his phone to the side.

            “What? That’s not the worst thing that could happen. It’s just another party, didn’t you go to like a million of those as a kid?” Theo asked. Lord knows she had to.

            “Of course I did and I hated them then just as much as I hate them now. I don’t like dressing up and talking about…politics or whatever those people are there for. I’m not a politician like my dad.”

            “Neither am I but we were raised by them. We have a least a little bit of diplomacy in our blood.” Theo pointed out.

            “Diplomacy…yeah that’s the Hamilton policy.” Philip muttered.

            Theo giggled and nudged him playfully. “I’m serious, we’re adults, we can handle a stupid little party.”

            “But I don’t _want_ to handle a stupid little party.” Philip moaned dramatically. “I would much rather watch Netflix with you in sweatpants, thank you very much.”

            “How about we do that the whole day after the party?” Theo compromised. “No friends, no studying, no going out.” She bargained.

            Philip sighed. “That’s a tempting offer. But I’m not sure how that stacks up with wearing a suit…”

            “C’mon, you’d look so handsome.” Theo purred in an attempt to get him to agree to go. She knew how weak he was when it came to her begging, it’s how they went to see Ghostbusters twice.

            Philip bit his lip. “That’s not fair!” He complained.

            “And I’ll wear a dress…” Theo coaxed. She gently kissed his cheek. “You don’t even have to mingle much, we’ll just stay by the bar…”

            Finally the Hamilton boy was starting to give in. “Alright…but only because I know you’re going to look hot in whatever dress you wear.” He smirked.

            Theo blushed and smacked his chest lightly. “Rude boy.” She scolded.

            “I will not apologize for it.” Philip said and moved her so she was laying back against the couch and he hovered over her. “I mean you wearing heels, and your legs, and don’t even get me started on your…”

            Theo jumped when she heard her phone go off. “That’s my dad’s ringtone.” She said and grabbed her phone off the coffee table. “Shit.” She said when she read the text message.

            “What?”

            “Guess who else is going to the party?”


	8. Chapter 8

            The Hamilton’s house was lit up and it made Philip sick to his stomach. He’d been to countless parties like the one he was about to face, but this one was different. His girlfriend’s father was going to be there and the thought of it made Philip want to fake an illness and lock himself away.

            That’s why Theo arrived early. She had a hunch that Philip was nervous, she sure was.

            Eliza opened the door and smiled when she saw Theo. “Come on in, don’t you look beautiful.” She complimented warmly.

            Theo blushed as she walked inside. “Thank you.” She said and looked around. She couldn’t help but remember being there before. She must’ve been a young girl accompanying her father and mother to a party the Hamilton’s were having. It was vague though and Theo couldn’t remember much.

            “Philip! Theo’s here!” Eliza called upstairs.

            Theo heard a scuffle and two sets of footsteps running down the hall. She looked up to where the upstairs hallway overlooked the doorway.

            “Angie, stop!” Philip hissed but it was too late. His sister beat him there. He stopped when he saw his girlfriend. She looked so elegant in a dark red dress that hugged her curves. She wore black heels and her hair was braided and twisted into an up do.

            “Philip, stop staring.” Angie said loud enough for Theo to hear.

            “Shut up.” Philip’s cheeks went red. “Theo, you can come up.” He said. “Angie won’t bother us.” He gave his sister a look.

            Angie rolled her eyes. “You know Theo and I are friends on Facebook, I could tell her so many things…”

            “Angelica, leave them alone.” Eliza interrupted and nodded for her eldest daughter to go back to getting ready.

            Philip flashed his mother a thankful look before bringing Theo to his room. “So uh…it’s clean now.” He said feeling a little strange letting her into his room even having lived with her for a year.

            Theo walked in and looked around curiously. There were even more photos on his desk than there were in their old dorm. She studied them and smiled at some of the ones of him when he was little. “You were so adorable.” She cooed.

            “I mean…I still sort of am.” Philip smirked and went back to attempting his bowtie again.

            Theo walked over to him and replaced his fingers with hers. She expertly started to tie the bow. “My dad was always terrible at this so my mom had to do it for him. After he died I decided to learn.” She explained.

            Philip watched her focus intently on what she was doing. Just the sight of her melted away all his fears about the party. “You look so beautiful.” He said softly.

            Theo glanced up at him for a second and looked embarrassed. “It’s just a dress…”

            “I know, you look beautiful every day but I just wanted to let you know.” Philip shrugged.

            Theo finished the bowtie and rested a hand on his chest. “Well thank you, you look very handsome.” Philip smiled and went to kiss her but Theo stopped him. “We should talk about my father.”

            “That’s what I always want to talk about before I kiss you.” Philip teased.

            “I’m serious.” Theo gave him a stern look. “You need to impress him tonight and I know you can.”

            “Right…”

            “But you might need a few tips.”

            “Right.”

            Theo perched herself on the edge of the bed. “You need to look him in the eyes when he talks. It makes you seem interested and a more truthful person. Call him sir whenever you address him, I know it’s old fashioned but it can go a long way in the respect department. And uh…oh firm handshake. I’ve seen him judge people just based on their handshakes. Your first impression is everything because he never lets them go.” She anxiously wrung her hands together. “Let’s see if I missed anything…oh don’t joke with him. It may seem like the good idea but…it’s probably not.”

            Philip nodded and took her hands in his. He hated seeing her so nervous. He knew he had to do his best to make Mr. Burr approve of him. “You don’t have to worry, I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” He smiled softly and kissed her hand.

            Theo took a deep breath. “Thank you so much for putting up with this. Really…I can’t imagine many guys sticking around.”

            “I’m a Hamilton.” Philip shrugged. “We don’t back away from Burr’s easily.” He teased.

            “Philip!” Eliza’s voice interrupted them. “Your aunts and uncles are here!”

            Philip winced. “So in return for me meeting your dad you have to meet my extended family.” He said.

            “Oh…okay.” Theo nodded and stood up to follow him back downstairs.

            “Philip!” The little crowd waiting at the bottom of the stairs exclaimed when they saw him.

            Angelica and Peggy were the first to get to him, hugging their nephew tightly and Peggy fussing over how big he’d gotten. The John Laurens stepped in to say how much Philip looked like his father, Hercules interrupted them with a giant bear hug, and Lafayette greeted his adopted nephew in French.

            Philip was a bit flustered and Theo giggled at the lipstick marks his aunts had left on his cheeks. “Uh…so this is my girlfriend, Theo.” He introduced.

            They all went quiet. Angelica glanced over at Eliza. Her sister nodded a bit when she realized Angelica knew it was Burr’s daughter.

            Lafayette was the first to break the moment’s tension. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mademoiselle Theo.” He said and smiled.

            Theo smiled back. “Merci, monsieur.” She replied politely.

            “I think she’s perfect for our Philip.” Lafayette determined.

            “That’s what we’re all said.” Eliza agreed softly. “She’s practically a part of the family already.”

            “So

            Theo couldn’t help but blush and looked at Philip. He just sighed and took her hand. “Alright, enough with trying to embarrass us.” He rolled his eyes and guided her away from his family.

            Theo giggled softly and linked arms with him. “I liked them.” She said gently.

            “Yeah I do too when they’re not being so nosy.” Philip sighed. “It’s just getting started though.”

            Theo took a deep breath and leaned into him. “You’re going to be okay.” She promised. “I’ll be by your side that whole time.”

 

            The party went on and Philip and Theo stuck close to each other so they weren’t apart when Aaron came in.

            “So how many years of college do you have to finish?” Angie asked Theo. “I mean it’s a ton right?”                        

            “It’s normally four years of med school and three years of residency.” Theo answered. “Are you interested?”

            “Nah, I’m going to be a lawyer like my dad was. I don’t think I’ll get into politics though.” Angie shrugged.

            “That’s a lot of school too.” Philip reminded her.

            “Yeah duh I’m at Harvard I know what I’m getting myself into, Pip.” Angie replied.

            “Pip?” Theo glanced over at her boyfriend with a curious look.

            Philip groaned. “Thanks, Angie.” He grumbled. “That’s my family nickname, it’s stupid and I _hate_ when they use it.”

            “I think it’s cute.” Theo said softly and touched his arm. That’s when she noticed her father out of the corner of her eye. “Philip, he’s here.” She said and quickly made sure his bowtie was straight and fixed his shirt collar.

            Philip felt his stomach drop in fear. “Angie, scram.” He ordered and shooed his sister away. He cleared his throat and stood up a bit straighter.

            Aaron saw Philip and his daughter and approached them. He kissed his daughter’s cheek first and then held out a hand to her boyfriend. “Philip, I understand you and my daughter have started to date.”

            Philip shook his hand trying to remember Theo’s advice. “Yes, sir.” He nodded.

            Aaron was a little impressed. “Very well…let’s talk.” He nodded to leave Theo’s side.

            Philip tried not to glance at her in absolute panic. Instead he followed Aaron to another area of the party. Theo wanted to say something but just watched helplessly as they disappeared in the crowd of guests. “Shit.” She whispered under her breath.

           

            Nearly a half an hour went by and Philip was still talking to Aaron. Theo was in the kitchen with the Schuyler sisters trying not to worry so much. But, she felt like if she wasn’t there by his side, Philip would make a mistake. She didn’t care if he did, she loved some of his flaws, but she didn’t think Aaron would take kindly to them.

            “London is beautiful, honestly, Theo if you get the chance to do a semester abroad take it.” Angelica said. “John and I have a place there, you could stay with us.”

            Theo smiled. “That sounds amazing. My father and I went to Europe this summer, I would love to go abroad.”

            “Philip was talking about that too.” Eliza said. “I didn’t want him to intrude on you and John though.”

            “Nonsense.” Angelica rolled her eyes at her sister. “I want you to intrude. It gets lonely there sometimes when he’s away, having my nephew and his girlfriend there would be a delight.”

            “That’s what I said about Philip coming out to stay with Stephen and I in California.” Peggy touched Theo’s shoulder. “We have a beautiful house right on the beach.” She told her. “You’re welcome anytime.”

            “Thank you all so much for being so welcoming.” Theo said honestly. “It’s…it’s such a change to be around such an extended family

            Eliza smiled warmly. “Of course, darling, we know you make Philip happy and that makes us happy.”

            Theo was about to say something else when she saw Philip. “Excuse me.” She said to the sisters and rushed over to him. “How did it go? What did he ask you? What did you say?”

            Philip just smiled and took her hand. “You don’t have to worry, everything went fine.” He assured her. “We just talked about us and what I was doing in school.” He shrugged.

            “Oh…okay…” Theo still looked nervous. “And you’re sure it went well? He didn’t look disappointed in any way?”

            “Not that I could tell.” Philip shook his head. “But let’s not worry about that anymore.” He kissed her forehead and went to go talk to his mother and aunts.

            Theo was about to follow him when Aaron walked up to her. “I need to talk to you.” He said in a low voice. All of Theo’s fears resurfaced.

 

            “A poet? Really Theo? You couldn’t have found a nice boy from one of your classes? A respectable boy who is pursuing a worthy career?”

            Aaron and Theo were standing outside and it wasn’t long before his distaste was clear. Theo was nearly in tears and she stared at the ground.

            “Honestly, what do you think he could provide for you if you two were to get married?” He asked.

            “He’s really good, dad, I’ve read his work.”

            “Good doesn’t cut it, Theodosia, I won’t have a poet as a son-in-law. You told me he was smart and well educated.”

            “He is!” Theo exclaimed. “That wasn’t a lie!”

            “No, you’re smart and well educated and your studies show that. I’m going home, I don’t want to hear another word of this.” Aaron said and turned to go back to his car.

            Theo didn’t want the moment to get to her, she wanted to stay strong with her own beliefs, but it was useless. Her childhood fears of disappointing her father were deeply imbedded in her. She’d been through very few situations where she’d done so, a bad grade on a French quiz, breaking curfew by an hour one night, and mouthing off to him about something she couldn’t remember. But this time, this disappointment was by far the worse. What made it even harder to cope with was the fact that she still wanted to be with Philip, no matter what Aaron said.

 

            Philip finally found Theo after not knowing where’d she gone after they talked. He went outside and was surprised to see her sitting on the front step, her head in her arms, and he could hear her softly crying.

            “Theo…” He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Hey…what’s wrong?” He asked gently.

            Theo didn’t want to look up, the last thing she wanted to do that night was let her boyfriend see her crying like a child. “It’s n-nothing, just g-go back to the-the party.” She hiccupped and attempted to stop sobbing. She felt so stupid.

            “Not when you’re crying, tell me what’s wrong.” Philip coaxed. “Did something happen? Did my brothers say something to you?”

            “No of course not.” Theo raised her head a bit to wipe her eyes. “Your family is perfect. It’s my dad.”

            Philip suddenly felt like _he_ was the one who had made her cry. “Shit I’m sorry…was it something I said to him?” He asked. He’d thought everything went over well…but maybe he’d misread the whole conversation. “I didn’t make any jokes or anything…I called him sir…”

            “It’s not any of that.” Theo shook her head. “You probably were the most polite person to him. It’s…he’s just overreacting about your major.” She mumbled.

            “Oh…” Philip winced. “Right…I could see how that might not go over well.”

            “It’s stupid, you’re an amazing writer so I don’t see what the big deal is!” Theo said angrily. “Just because you’re not going to be a doctor or a lawyer or…or whatever, doesn’t mean you’re not a good person!”

            Philip didn’t know what to say. He was partly siding with Aaron; maybe he wouldn’t be good enough for Theo in the long run. A guy with a PhD could probably take better care of her. “Well…thanks for sticking up for me.” He said half-heartedly. “But I don’t want this to put a wedge between you and your father. Theo, he’s all the family you have, that would be horrible for me to…”

            Theo felt like her chest was caving in she was so anxious and angry. “No, I don’t want to talk about this anymore, I just want to go home.” She insisted.

            “Alright…” Philip stood up and held a hand out to her. “I’ll go with you, I don’t really want to stay here either, I’d rather go back to my apartment too.”

            “Will you stay with me?” Theo asked in a quiet voice. “I-I know it’s a lot for me to ask but…I don’t want to be alone tonight.” She looked up at him.

            Philip knew he could never say no to those brown eyes. “Of course.” He said and hugged her tightly.


	9. Chapter 9

 

            It was a quiet walk to Theo’s apartment. Philip didn’t want to say anything to make her more upset, so he held her hand to make sure she knew he was there for her.

            Theo’s hand shook as she tried to pull out her key to unlock the door. It took a few tries but she got it opened and went inside. “I’m tired…I just want to go to bed if that’s okay.” She mumbled.

            Philip nodded. “Of course, that’s no problem.” He said gently. “It’s been a long night, I don’t blame you.” He felt heavy with the idea that he was the reason Theo was so upset. If only he could be the type of person Aaron was looking for to be with his daughter. “Is it okay for me to sleep on the couch?” He asked.

            “Oh…yeah I mean I was going to let you sleep in my bed. But if you want the couch, that’s fine.” Theo said. She wanted him to stay close to her though so she could have a shoulder to cry on if needed.

            Philip nodded. “Okay…” He smiled slightly. “I think I could deal with that.” He teased and shrugged off his sport coat.

            Theo rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Just c’mon.” She said and went upstairs, pulling Philip by the hand. “I’m going to bed and pretending like this night never happened.” She sighed and tugged her hair loose from the bun and braids. “Will you unzip me?” She asked.

            “Uh…sure.” Philip honestly was in young love heaven but he didn’t want to say anything to be disrespectful. He unzipped her dress and gently kissed her shoulder. “I’ll look away.” He promised.

            Theo sighed. “It doesn’t matter anymore, we’re dating.” She pointed out and let the dress fall to the floor. “But I’m not in the mood for anything.” She reminded him and went to her dresser to pull out a tee shirt and sleep shorts and get dressed

            “Of course, I’m going to be the perfect gentleman, the boyfriend who cares, your teddy bear for the night.” Philip vowed but he would’ve been lying if he said his eyes didn’t wander for a second. He looked down to unbutton his shirt and tug off his bowtie.

            Theo turned and looked a little surprised. She’d seen her boyfriend shirtless when they went on vacation. But, there was something different about him standing shirtless in her room.

            “Mind if I sleep in my boxers?” He asked not noticing how she was trying not to stare. “I didn’t really plan for a sleepover.” He glanced up to smile at her.

            “No of course not.” Theo said casually and went to get under the covers. She realized it was a good idea for her to ask him over. Her worries about her father were slowly disappearing.

            Philip sighed quietly and lay down next to her. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “I know you don’t want to talk about it but I just want to say I’m sorry.”

            “Sorry for what?” Theo pulled the covers up over her and rested on her side to look at him. “You were fine.”

            Philip propped himself up on his elbow. “As far as you know…” He looked unsure. “You weren’t there, I just told you it went fine because I thought it did…but maybe it didn’t.”

            “And I’m sure it did.” Theo said. “He didn’t say you were impolite or anything, he only said something about your major.”

            “Right…well I’m sorry about that too.”

            “Why?”

            Philip didn’t know how to put his feelings into words without making the situation worse. “I…maybe he’s right?”

            Theo stared at him. “This is Philip Hamilton talking to me right?” She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were the one who didn’t care what our parents thought?”

            “Well, I kinda care what your dad thinks, I want him to think I’m the right guy for you.” Philip said sheepishly.

            “I think you’re the right guy for me, isn’t that enough?” She said firmly and brushed a few stray curls out of his face. “I love your hair.” She murmured.

            Philip chuckled. “You’re avoiding the conversation.”

            “Yes, because this is a dumb conversation.” Theo replied. “I like you and that’s what matters.”

            He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “Alright, we don’t have to talk about it anymore.” He agreed.

            Theo buried her face in his chest. “You’re doing a good job, boyfriend, you might be invited back here.”

            Philip grinned and kissed the top of her hair. “Best news I’ve heard all day.” He chuckled. “I’d be honored.”

 

            Alexander walked into the bedroom to a sight he was never excited to see. Eliza was sitting on the end of the bed, dressed for bed, her arms crossed over her chest, and a disappointed look on her face. He groaned. “What did I do?” He asked.

            “It’s not what you did, it’s what Aaron did.” Eliza replied after a few seconds of silence.

            “Oh…” Alexander was pleasantly surprised that he wasn’t the one in trouble. “What for?” He asked and started to get ready to sleep.

            “Don’t look so relieved, it’s your fault too. This stupid feud between you two is ruining our son’s life. Either you learn to fix it or you can just wait until Philip distances himself from the family. Choose.” Eliza said sternly.

            “I didn’t do anything though!” He protested. “If he did something that’s not my fault.”

            “He said Philip wasn’t good enough for Theo because of his English major. Do you think he would’ve said that to any other boy that wasn’t a Hamilton?” Eliza demanded.

            “I don’t know…” Alexander seemed bewildered.

            “No he wouldn’t have! Do you even remember that his wife was a writer?” His wife gave him an exasperated look.

            “I don’t…no I forgot.” Alexander admitted.

            “That’s what I’m talking about. For God’s sake you’ve known each other for decades and you don’t even remember what his wife did!”

            “Eliza, it’s not like we’re friends.”

            She rolled her eyes. “There you go again. You were friends before…”

           “No…”

            “Listen! I know you have respect for him and he has respect for you. You both let politics get between you two and now it’s so poisonous, our son is texting me that Theo was in tears!” Eliza stood up.

            “That’s Aaron’s problem, not mine.” Alexander held up his hands in defense.

            “It _is_ your problem because Theo is Philip’s girlfriend and Philip is your son.” Eliza said in a low voice. “Now, I suggest you talk to Burr again so I don’t have to hear about this anymore!”

            Alexander didn’t seem as worked up as Eliza wanted him to be. “Look, honestly, it’s a good thing. They’ll stop dating and you won’t have to worry about any of the drama. We all knew this was going to happen eventually, it’s not like they were going to get married.”

            “No.” Eliza stopped him as he reached to pull back the comforter on the bed.

            “What?” He looked at her.

            “You’re not sleeping in here with me if you’re going to act so nonchalant about your own son’s happiness.” She said firmly. “Sleep in your office.”

            “Eliza…”

            “No, Alexander, I almost lost him once I’m not going to lose him again because you were being immature!” Eliza suddenly lost it. “I held him in a hospital bed thinking he was going to die, I will not let him disappear. You are going to push him away if you act like this and I won’t have it!”

            Alexander saw the tears running down her cheeks and started to understand what she was feeling. “Eliza…” He tried to hug her but his wife pushed him away.

            “Leave me alone, just go!” She cried and turned away from him.

            He looked down and went to go to his office. Eliza’s fears only brought up terrible memories about the shooting. He didn’t want to remember it; he’d done everything in his power to forget it.

 

            Theo woke up to her boyfriend’s abs. It honestly wasn’t the worst way to wake up. She glanced up and saw that Philip was still asleep. His hair was a mess and sticking up everywhere. She smiled to herself and decided to let him sleep a bit. She gently traced her fingers down his stomach until she noticed something she hadn’t before on his side. It was seemed to be a scar but it was a circle and didn’t look fully healed, as it was still a dark color. Theo looked confused and traced a wide circle around the mark.

            “Are you trying to wake me up?” Philip asked in a tired voice.

            “What?” Theo jolted out of her thoughts. “Oh…no, sorry.”

            “It’s fine, I’m joking.” Philip opened his eyes and looked down at what she was doing. His smile faded when he noticed her fingers lingering around the scar. “Oh…uh…”

            “What happened?” Theo asked quietly. She felt comfortable asking him because they were pretty honest up to that point.

            But Philip didn’t answer immediately like she asked. Instead, he got up out of bed and ran a hand through his hair. “Can I use your shower?” He looked to find the attached bathroom.

            “Philip…” Theo sat up. “Just tell me what happened.”

            “I was shot.” He said and closed the door without an explanation.


	10. Chapter 10

            Theo knocked on the door for the third time. “Philip, please stop trying to avoid me. Please come out.” After saying he’d been shot, Philip hadn’t come out of the shower for almost twenty minutes. She’d sat down and rested back against the door.

            Finally, the shower water turned off and she could hear him drying off and getting dressed. She stood up and waited for him to come out. Philip walked out, still running a towel through his hair.

            “Are you going to talk to me?” Theo asked gently.

            “It’s honestly not a big deal.”

            “Then you won’t mind talking about it.” She replied.

            Philip sighed and hung the towel up on the bathroom doorknob. “Why do you want to know about it?” He asked.

            Theo sat down on the edge of the bed. “Because not everyone you meet has been shot.” She answered. “And you’re my boyfriend, I just want to know.”

            Philip sat down next to her and leaned back on his hands. “It was two years ago, I was in a store and a robber came in. I tried to step in and stop him.” He said like it was no big deal.

            “And he shot you?” Theo looked stunned. “How did you…”

            “Stay alive? I dunno, advanced medicine?” Philip smiled weakly and shrugged. “My family was there by my side, my mom never left. I knew that if I didn’t survive I’d be leaving them behind, I wouldn’t succeed with my goals, and if I knew I was going to meet you…” He gently took her hand. “I would’ve healed a lot quickly if I knew I had you waiting for me.”

            Theo squeezed his hand and kissed the top of his hand. “And I would’ve been by your side had I known. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

            “I said it’s fine, it’s in the past.” Philip shrugged and leaned into her. “I’m just glad to move past it.”

            Theo felt his wet hair against her arm skin and shivered a bit. “Me too. Now let’s get through this stuff with my dad, one step at a time.”

 

Angie Hamilton is online

 

Philip Hamilton: Hey, kid, how’s Boston?

Angie Hamilton: Rainy, good news though, I’ve eloped with my boyfriend.

Philip Hamilton: WHAT? Angelica Hamilton you better be kidding.       

Angie Hamilton: LOL you’re so gullible, Pip. But you need to tell me that you haven’t married Theo yet.

Philip Hamilton: We just started dating, Ange, don’t push it.

Angie Hamilton: Is she coming to Christmas? Please say she is, I want to see her again.

Philip Hamilton: I haven’t asked yet, it’s weeks away.

Angie Hamilton: Well you have to make plans before she does

Philip Hamilton: She’s not really talking to her father so I don’t want to talk about family things right now.

Angie Hamilton: Oh…but you still should. Invite her and her dad, maybe that would mend things. I have things to talk to her about

Philip Hamilton: Aren’t you Facebook friends?

Angie Hamilton: Yes and we do talk but I want to see her in person to talk

Philip Hamilton: You better not talk to her about me

Angie Hamilton: What your girlfriend and I discuss has nothing to do with you

Philip Hamilton: Are you kidding me, Angie, don’t embarrass me!

Angie Hamilton: I’m your younger sister, that’s my job, stupid

Philip Hamilton: Look, we’re working through things and I don’t need you to come in blabbing about things.

Angie Hamilton: What do you mean? Are you fighting?

Philip Hamilton: No, she just found out about the shooting.

Angie Hamilton: Oh…

Philip Hamilton: Sorry…

Angie Hamilton: It’s fine, I’m glad you’re being honest with her.

Angie Hamilton: I need to go, sorry.

Philip Hamilton: Angie, I’m sorry but you asked about it…

Philip Hamilton: Ange…

Angie Hamilton is offline

 

            “Was that Angie?” Theo noticed Philip was on Facebook. They were at the library, Theo was studying, but her boyfriend was procrastinating a little.

            “Yeah she left pretty quickly.” Philip sighed and shut his laptop.

            “Everything okay? Did something happen?” Theo asked gently. She noticed the defeat in his face.

            “I just mentioned what we were talking about this morning.” Philip answered not wanting to dwell on the subject.

            “Oh, that must’ve been hard for her.” Theo realized. “I mean…for your whole family but you two are so close.”

            Philip nodded. “Yeah it was really troubling for her.” He looked down to fidget with the corner of the textbook Theo was reading from. “My whole family doesn’t really talk about it. My mom gets really upset.”

            Theo gently rested her hand over his. “If there’s anything I can do…”

            “There’s not, there’s nothing anyone can do, and that’s fine.” Philip said honestly and glanced up at her for a moment. “Uh…do you want to come celebrate Christmas at my house this year?” He asked on a whim.

            “Oh…” Theo thought about things would stand with her father in the few weeks before the holidays. “I mean I wasn’t planning anything so far, so yeah sure.” She nodded. “That sounds fun, are your parents okay with it?”

            “I’m sure they’d be fine with it.” Philip nodded. Well, he figured Eliza would be okay with it but he didn’t mention that to her. “I know things with our families are…crazy and messy, but maybe if we all spent the holidays together we could find a common ground.”

            Theo smiled a bit. “Yeah, no one can be upset on Christmas.” She laughed softly. “It’s kind of like an evil plan, make our families like each other by making them spend the holidays together.

            Philip grinned. “Partners in crime.” He agreed.

            Theo giggled and leaned over the table and kissed him quickly. Philip gasped and gave her a scandalized look.

            “You never kiss me in public, how dare you, Burr?” He teased.

            “Oh be quiet.” Theo rolled her eyes and smirked. “We just starting dating, remember?”

            “Yep, I know. But you can’t say it’s been terrible right?” Philip raised an eyebrow.

            “No it’s not terrible.” Theo smiled and went back to her textbook.

            Philip watched her for her a bit and felt his heart swell. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was; it made him feel like a young teenager again. She was simply sitting there in front of him, reading, but she did it with such elegance and poise. She was resting her cheek against the heel of her hand, her elbow on the table. A curl of black hair fell into her eyes and she tucked it behind her ear. She sighed softly and turned the page.

            He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You’re beautiful.” He reminded her. Theo glanced up and smiled. It only enforced her adoration for Philip Hamilton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this little fic got over a 100 likes! Thank you so much to everyone who's reading! Comments are greatly appreciated, I always take suggestions for little moments between Theo and Philip.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels so weird writing a Christmas chapter in the beginning of August but here we go.

            The holiday season arrived quickly in New York and Alexander had one more job to do before he could relax with his family.

            “Alexander, it’s late, is this important?”    

            “Yes, Aaron, I wanted to invite you to Christmas at our house.” Alexander said over the phone. “Theodosia said she would come.”

            “That’s because she’s still angry with me.” Aaron replied coldly. “I’m glad you’re being so hospitable.” He said sarcastically.

            Alexander sighed. “I know why you’re upset, trust me I get it. But it’s Christmas and I’m sure she wants to spend time with you. My whole family will be there so you don’t even have to talk to me, it will be too chaotic.”

            Aaron couldn’t help but smile. “Hamilton, you are the bane of my existence.”

            “I know, you’re not the only one to have said that to me.” He shrugged. “Just come over and celebrate the holiday.”

            “Alright, alright.” Aaron gave in. “Thank you for extending the invitation to me.”

 

            Angie ran downstairs when she heard the doorbell. She threw open the door and squealed when she saw her brother and Theo standing there. She hugged Philip tightly and then Theo. “Look at how cute you are.” She held Theo at an arms length to look at her outfit.

            Theo smiled. “You look cute too, I think Harvard looks good on you.” She complimented.

            “Oh just wait until I tell you about the boys there.” Angie said excitedly. “Smart and attractive, you may want to transfer.”

            “Alright, alright, just let us in.” Philip shooed his sister away from Theo. “She’s not transferring to Harvard, it’s too far away from me.” He teased.

            Theo followed the Hamilton siblings into the kitchen. “I’d like to stay in New York, sorry Angie.” She smiled sympathetically when Angie pouted.

            Eliza walked in from the den and quickly went to greet her son. “Hi darling.” She said softly and hugged him. “I’m glad you both got here safe, it’s getting so dangerous on the roads. You should stay over night to stay safe I don’t think it’s ever going to stop snowing.”

            “We’ll be fine, but thank you.” Philip said. “We got you and pops something.” He said and looked over to Theo.

            “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Hamilton.” She held out a small box to her.

            “Oh, thank you so much.” Eliza said and hugged her too. “We’ll open it later. Your presents are under the tree, the rest of the kids are all waiting. You should go say hi to them.”

            Philip nodded and walked with Theo to the den where he greeted all his siblings.

            Alexander came downstairs and found his wife. “I thought I heard Philip, is he here?” He asked.

            “He’s with the kids.” Eliza heard the doorbell and went to answer it. “Angelica!”

            “Eliza!” Her sister hugged her tightly. “Merry Christmas.” She said. “Peggy and John are bringing in the presents, I know you said only one per child but there were so many cute things I found at this toy store in London.”

            Eliza sighed. “You spoil them too much, Angelica.”

            “I know, but you’ll agree when you see what I got. I think I saw Lafayette pulling up too. Who else is here?”

            “Philip and Theo just arrived. Alexander invited her father but he hasn’t shown up yet. I want you all to be welcoming to him, things are still a little fragile.” Eliza said in a low voice.

            “I will if he’s going to support Philip and his own daughter. Alexander better not make a scene either.” Angelica replied stubbornly. “Eliza, it’s ridiculous…”

            “I know, I know. But it’s the holidays and I just want a nice, family friendly, drama free night.” Her younger sister answered with pleading eyes. “Please?”

            Angelica sighed. “Alright, I’ll try my best.”

            “Angelica, Liza is asking for you!” Alexander called from the den.

            “I’m coming!” She quickly went to hug her nieces and nephews.

            Eliza decided to stay by the door to welcome in Peggy, John Church, John Laurens, Lafayette, and Hercules. She waited a little longer but was starting to worry that Aaron wasn’t going to show up, despite what her husband had promised.

            Finally, Aaron timidly stood at the door. He took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. He forced a smile when Eliza answered. “Mrs. Hamilton, thank you for inviting me.” He said.

            “Please, Aaron, you can call me Eliza.” She reminded him. “Come in, everyone’s in the den.” She led him inside.

            Theo was on the floor with the rest of the Hamilton children. She was trying to help Will open a packaging on a toy he’d gotten. She looked surprised when she saw her father walk in. “Dad…hi.” She said quietly.

            Aaron smiled when he saw his daughter. “Hi Theo, Merry Christmas everyone.” He nodded to the group.

            “We’re just opening Philip and Theo’s gift.” Alexander said. “It looks a little small though…” He teased his son.

            “Just open it, you’re going to like it.” Philip said and wrapped his arms around Theo.

            Eliza sat down in the same armchair with Alexander and rested her legs over his lap. She watched as her husband opened the box that held a pair of theater tickets. “Oh thank you!” She said happily. “We’ve wanted to see this, but _somebody_ always says he’s too busy.”

            “Well now I can’t use that excuse anymore.” Alexander smiled and kissed her cheek. “Thanks you two, that was very thoughtful.”

            “It’s no big deal.” Theo smiled.

            “Your turn.” Philip said gently and held out a small present to Theo.

            She looked surprised. “Philip…I said you didn’t have to get me anything.” She scolded gently.

            “I know, but it didn’t feel right not getting you anything. Besides, you gave me something.” Philip reminded her with a wink.

            “Sh!” Theo smacked his arm.

            Angie had heard though. “What did she get you?” She asked curiously.

            “Nothing, stop asking questions.” Philip replied curtly. “None of your business.”

            “Oh…I get it.” Angie waggled her eyebrows at them. “I see what you mean.” She made kissing noises at them.

            Philip rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Angelica.” He hissed and checked to make sure his parents weren’t listening.

            Theo’s cheeks started to burn up. “I um…I’m going to open this now.” She said to just avoid any more embarrassment. She unwrapped the box and opened it. “Philip…” Her lips parted slightly. “No…Philip…you didn’t have to…”

            Philip just moved over so he was kneeling behind her. “Just accept it.” He murmured softly and took the necklace from her. It was a silver chain with a small owl silhouette on the end. He fumbled with the clasp a bit to put it on her. “Do you like it?” He asked.

            “I love it, you remembered my favorite animal.” Theo turned around to kiss him quickly. “Thank you.” She whispered.

            Aaron noticed his daughter and Philip talking softly to each other. He saw the necklace she was wearing. He felt a twinge of sadness when he remembered what it was like during the holidays when Theodosia was still alive. He would lavish his wife with expensive jewelry, clothing, and perfumes every year. But he knew it was her who gave the best gifts. Theodosia would always get something simple but meaningful, a paperweight holding a handful of sand from their honeymoon spot, a silver pen with the words _smile more_ engraved in the cap, and a photo album depicting their life with pictures, souvenirs, and small poems written in the margins. She paired every gift with a lengthy, beautifully written, letter. He saved every one and would pull them out every so often to read them. He probably memorized most of the words but they never failed to take his breath away.

            “Blech, Philip that’s so cheesy!” Angie’s cry made Aaron look up.

            Theo was holding a piece of paper in one hand, her other hand was pressed to her heart. Her dark eyes seemed to have tears in them as she read the poem written over and over again. “I think it’s beautiful. She said and pressed a kiss to Philip’s cheek.

            The Hamilton boy’s cheeks were bright red and he shrugged. “It was nothing.”

            “May I see?” Aaron asked.

            Philip looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Oh, yeah sure.” He nodded.

            Theo wasn’t scared, in fact she _wanted_ her father to read it so he could understand. She handed the poem to him.

            _Dear Theodosia, my Theodosia_

_It’s been a blink of an eye_

_But I feel I know you like I know my own mind_

_I don’t know how to describe my love_

_But I’ll always try_

_I’m blessed when I make you smile_

_It’s a gift to make you laugh_

_I never want to make you cry_

_Dear Theodosia, my sweet Theodosia_

_Merry Christmas_

            Aaron looked up after reading over the ink twice. “Well you’re certainly in the right major, Philip.” He said and handed his daughter the paper. “You’re very talented.”

            Philip’s eyes widened in shock and he thought for a moment that he either hadn’t heard Aaron right or he was being sarcastic. “Wow uh…thank you, sir.” He said.

            Aaron smiled and nodded. Theo smiled at her dad. ‘Thank you’, she mouthed to him.

            Eliza was not about to let her son and his girlfriend go out all the way to their apartments in the snow. She practically blocked the door so they couldn’t leave, even though Philip insisted on going. Finally, her son gave up and resigned to his room.

            Theo curled up against him as he turned off the lamp next to his bed. “What a Christmas miracle.” She giggled out of excitement.

            “No shit.” Philip grinned. “Your dad said I was talented, I should tell my professors, it should be enough for me to graduate early.” He teased.

            “I know he’s tough, but I told you he had a soft side to him. We were right, the holiday feelings worked.” Theo smiled and rested her head on his chest.

            “Partners in crime, we did it.” Philip chuckled and yawned.

            Theo closed her eyes and for the first time in weeks she could fall asleep easily. She didn’t have any thoughts weighing her down about her father.

 

            It wasn’t an hour later before little Liza toddled into Philip’s room. “Lilip.” She hissed and tugged at the comforter. “Lilip!” She said louder when he didn’t wake up.

            “Wha…Liza?” Philip sat up with bleary eyes. He accidentally moved Theo who also woke up.

            “What’s going on?” Theo looked around and forgot where she was for a moment.

            “I’m scared.” Liza clutched her blanket close.

            “Then go see mom and dad.” Philip said and rubbed his eyes. “Why are you waking me up?”

            Liza shrugged. “You were closer.”

            “Of all the siblings…” Philip muttered under his breath. “Alright, let’s go.” He got out of bed and took his younger sister’s hand. “I’ll be right back.” He assured Theo before going to walk Liza down the hall to his parents’ room. He returned a moment later and flopped on the bed. “Sorry.”

            “It’s okay.” Theo smiled and got back to cuddling with him so she could fall asleep again.

            Five minutes later and AJ poked his head into the room. “Philip, did you use my toothpaste?”

            Philip covered his face with his hands. “Does it matter?”

            “Uh, yeah, it’s all over the place. Do you blindfold yourself before you brush your teeth?”

            “AJ, go to bed.” Philip commanded and waited a moment before looking to make sure his brother was gone.

            Theo turned over and sighed softly.

            It was Angie’s turn next as she blatantly walked into Philip’s room. “Can you fix the wifi?” She asked like they were both awake.

            Philip opened his eyes and glared at his sister. “What the hell could you be looking up on the internet at one in the morning?” He asked.

            “Fanfiction, it’s none of your business, just tell me how to fix the wifi.” Angie sassed back.

            “I don’t know how to fix the goddamn wifi, go to bed or ask dad.”

            “Philip, are you having trouble with the wifi, it’s not working for me.” Alexander walked into the room with his phone. “I’m trying to win an argument with your mother and I need to look something up to prove my point. Is it working for you?”

            “No, because I’m not using it! Theo and I are trying to sleep!” Philip exclaimed.

            “But you’re awake now, so can you try to help us?” Angie asked.

            Philip shoved his face into his pillow for a moment to control his rage for his interrupting family. “Get out of my room, be quiet, and figure it out.” He said in a deadly voice.

            “Fine, be that way.” Angie rolled her eyes and followed Alexander out of the room.

            “If anyone else comes in I swear I’ll kill them.” Philip grumbled and wrapped his arms tighter around Theo to bury his face in her shoulder.

            “There are times when I want a big family but this isn’t that time.” Theo agreed. “Do they always do this?”

            “Oh yeah, you can’t imagine how much better I sleep when I’m at school.” Philip said. “Hopefully they’ll leave us alone though, good night.” He kissed her cheek.

            “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I'm not sure what fanfiction Angie would read. Harry Potter maybe?


	12. Chapter 12

            Theo and Philip were rudely woken up at six in the morning by Will banging on the table and singing Jingle Bells at the top of his lungs. Philip groaned and threw a pillow over his face. “Why? Why do they do this?”

            Theo smiled tiredly and got up. “They’re just kids, Philip.” She reminded them and took a peek into Philip’s dresser. She found a t-shirt that was tie-dyed and had an event name on it that looked like it was from his high school. She also picked out a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring so she could actually fit in them. She rolled up the bottoms and realized she’d forgotten how tall Philip was.

            He pushed the pillow aside and looked like he’d been hit the face. “How do you look so beautiful every single day?”

            “Why do boys like girls wearing their clothes?” Theo ignored his question as she tied her hair up.

            “I dunno it’s just hot.” Philip shrugged.

            Theo smiled and shook her head. She held out both hands to him. “Let’s get up, I’m hungry.”

            “Well you’re in for a treat, my mom’s Christmas breakfast is like heaven.” Philip took her hands and got out of the bed. “I might have an extra toothbrush somewhere, do you want to use it?”

            “Sure.” Theo nodded and followed him to the bathroom. But then he shut the door and locked it. He pressed her up against the door and kissed her a bit.

            “Only door upstairs that locks. I need just a few moments of privacy with you.” Philip breathed and kissed down her neck.

            Theo sighed softly and wrapped her arm around him. “That’s fine with me.” She said softly, her voice going up a bit in pitch when he nipped at collarbone.

            They both paused when there was banging on the door. “Lilip, I need the potty!” Liza called.

            “And there goes our moments.” Philip sighed and opened the door.

            Liza gasped loudly. “Lilip was kissing Theo!” She giggled and dashed downstairs to tell everyone.

            “Liza, wait!” Philip tried to catch his youngest sister but failed as she sprinted down the stairs. “Great…Elizabeth!” He yelled after her and went downstairs.

            “Good morning!” Eliza greeted her son and Theo. “Are you both hungry?”

            “Mommy, they were kissing!” Liza hissed and tugged at her mother’s shirt. “In the bathroom!”

            “Sh, it’s okay.” Eliza said and shook her head. “I have waffles, bacon, eggs, hash browns…if you want something else there’s yogurt and fruit too.”

            “Everything sounds great, thank you so much Mrs. Hamilton.” Theo said with a smile. She felt like she was the happiest she’d been in months. She was on a good terms with her father, she was in love, and was on break from classes. It was safe to say she had a few good things going for her.

 

            The rest of their sophomore year went well, with Theo and Philip getting even closer without backlash from their families. They spent the summer together, going on vacations with each other’s families, and then spending time together in the city. Then things took a turn for the worst in the winter of their junior year.

            Theo knew Philip was pulling away from her. She’d witnessed it over several weeks. She tried talking to him about it a few times but realized that any alone time she got with him was precious and she didn’t want to waste it on arguing. She decided to let him do what made him happy. But as the snow fell over New York City, Philip became more and more distant. Texts went unanswered, dates were cancelled last minute, and every time they did get together, he just didn’t seem the same.

            There was a foot of snow on the ground when Theo went to Philip’s apartment to talk. She missed him and thought he had enough time to think over their relationship. She knocked on the door and felt like someone stabbed her when a girl answered.

            “Yeah?”

            “Uh…is-is Philip here?” Theo stammered, not sure what to think.

            “Philip!” The girl called into the aparmtnent.

            A few moments later, Philip came to the door. “Hey.” His face didn’t light up as much when he saw her, his smile was dimmed down.

            “Can we talk?” Theo asked.

            “Right now?” Philip looked unsure. That’s how he’d been avoiding conversations though, he pretended like he was busy.

            “Yes, right now, it’s important.” Theo insisted.

            “Alright, come on in.” Philip let her into the apartment and she followed him upstairs to his room.

            Theo did a quick scan to make sure there weren’t any signs of another female staying in there. She hadn’t slept over in a week or so, and she hadn’t known there was a girl in the apartment. “Who was that?” She asked trying to sound casual but it was obvious she was jealous.

            “My roommate’s girlfriend.” Philip answered and sat down on the bed. “What do you want to talk about?”

            “Does she stay here often?”

            “Theo…”        

            “I’m just asking, Philip, I’m trying to figure out why you’re acting so cold to me!” Theo exclaimed. All the emotions she’d kept bottled up inside exploded. “I thought things were going well with us and our families but suddenly you’re just…you’re not the same.”

            “I’m the same person, Theo.” He insisted like it was absurd for her to even think. “If anything you’re the one who’s changed.”

            “ _I’ve_ changed?” Theo looked appalled. “How in the world have I changed?” She asked.

            “You always want to go out to dinner with your father or my parents, I mean before we actually had alone time.”

            “They’re our parents Philip, we have to see them every once in a while. I think it should be a good sign that we’re not all at each other’s throats.”

            “Whatever…”

            “Don’t _whatever_ me!” Theo snapped. “I don’t understand why you’re being such a jerk!”

            “Maybe I’m a little bored, ever think of that?” Philip replied.

            Theo was taken aback. She had never heard him say anything about being bored. “I’m boring to you?” She asked quietly.

            “Not you exactly…but my life.” Philip grumbled. “I mean every Saturday we get take-out and watch a movie, we get coffee at the same place, we have this routine like we’re married or something.”

            “Well I’m sorry we’re not going skydiving or having a forbidden love affair. I’m trying to get my degree and so are you, we’re living life. I’m sorry it’s boring to you.” Theo looked away from him, hurt that he was bored of her.

            Philip stood up. “Look, I love you but…there are sometimes when I feel like I’m not where I’m supposed to be.” He touched her cheek. “I do love you and…”

            “How can you love someone that’s boring to you?” Theo snapped and tried to wipe away her angry tears. She hated the fact that he was making her cry.

            Philip groaned. “That’s not what I meant…I just am bored of my life, not you. Theo, I don’t want to isolate myself from you…”

            “Then don’t.” Theo sniffed and looked up at him. “Stop doing this to both of us.”

            He just shook his head. “The school granted me a semester abroad. I’m going to London to stay with my aunt and uncle for a bit.”

            Theo felt like he’d punched her in the stomach. “What…when were you going to tell me this?” She choked out. “Were you just going to call me from London?”

            “No, no of course not. I just found out yesterday and I was trying to figure out how to tell you.” Philip said. “It’s not easy…”     

            “It’s easy for you, it’s not easy for me. You’re going to go to London and leave behind your boring life.” Theo spat. “You’ll be Mr. Big Boy on Campus, not giving a shit about his family and the girlfriend he left behind.”

            “Hey, my family supports me because they know this is something I want to do.” Philip replied, anger growing in his voice. “And if you really cared for me, you’d be happy for me too.”

            “Yeah, I’m thrilled for you, Philip.” Theo’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Thrilled that you don’t have to deal with your boring girlfriend anymore. Maybe you’ll find some attractive, exciting girl while you’re over there.” She snarled and turned on her heel.

            “Theo, wait.” Philip followed her out the door and into the snow. “Theodosia, stop and just listen…”

            “I’m done listening to you, Philip!” Theo spun around to confront him. “I’m done listening to how much you love me, all those stupid romantic words you wrote for me, and all the times you said you were so happy with me. I’m done with hearing you say night after night that you’re busy, you’re tired, you can’t go out, when in reality you were planning your escape the whole time!” She yelled. “I gave you everything, I went against my better judgment and trusted you, I let you into my life and family. I got into fights with my father over you, and what did that bring me? A selfish, arrogant, boy who treats love like it’s a game.”

            Philip stared at her not able to speak. When he didn’t say anything for a few moments, Theo went back to storming away from him. She disappeared down the block leaving him in the cold.

           

            She didn’t show up to the airport to see him off, even though he told her when his flight was.

            Eliza hugged her son tightly. “Listen to your Aunt Angelica okay?” She said gently. “Tidy up after yourself and don’t stay out too late.”

            “Alright mom.” Philip said. He’d been exceptionally quiet for a Hamilton ever since his fight with Theo. “Tell me if she calls okay?”

            Eliza nodded and could see the sadness in her son’s eyes. “I will, I’ll check up with Aaron too.” She promised. “You’ll work it out, you two just need some space.”

            Philip nodded and went to saying goodbye to the rest of his siblings. Then he came to Angie who crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him. _Great, now his sister was Team Theo._ Philip sighed and let Alexander hug him last.

            “Two people who love each other can only stay mad at each other for a short amount of time.” He said. “Just think about that.”

            Philip spent the eight-hour flight going over his father’s words. He could only hope that the first phone call from home was from Theo.


	13. Chapter 13

            Theo didn’t call. He didn’t heard from her at all. Philip thought he was going to enjoy his time in London but he felt like something was lacking.

            Angelica looked up and smiled when she saw her nephew walking downstairs. “Good morning.”

            Philip smiled back but it wasn’t his usual, flashy, Hamilton-genes, smile. He hadn’t smiled like that since...well since he was happy with Theo. “I’m going to go get coffee, do you want something?” He asked.

            “No sweetheart, thank you though." Angelica still had something to talk to him about. "Your mom called me last night; you were asleep though so I didn’t want to wake you. She said you haven’t contacted her or the family in a bit.”

            “Oh…yeah I guess I’ve just been busy.” Philip really hadn’t been though. He’d had a few classes, a few new friends, and nothing else to do after he’d gone to see all the sights.

            Angelica gave him a look. “You’re never too busy to text your mom. Tell me what’s wrong.” She coaxed.   

            “I just want to take my space from everyone for a bit.” Philip mumbled.

            “They’re your family, Philip, you need to keep in touch with them.” His aunt said softly. “What about your sister? You two are so close.”

            “We were, then she decided to side with…” Philip’s voice went faint. He shook his head and went to the door to pull on his sneakers. “Just tell my mom, I’m okay.” He said and left before she could continue on about the importance of family. It wasn’t his fault Angie didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

 

            Philip walked to the nearby café he’d gone to most of the time he was there. The red head barista that was usually there greeted him. “The usual?” She asked.

            “Yeah, thanks.” Philip nodded and handed over the money for it. He went to sit and check his phone while he waited for the drink. He went into his messages and Theo’s texts were at the bottom of his list. He wanted to delete them but something in him made him stop every time. The last text showed up under her name.

            _I’m coming over to talk, that okay?_

            He never responded to the text, he hadn’t seen it before Theo had arrived at his apartment. Like the message, her last words to him haunted him too.

            _A selfish, arrogant boy who treats love like it’s a game._

            Philip felt like beating his head against the table. It may have been true, he wasn’t sure or didn’t want to think if he was or wasn’t using her. But no matter what he thought, her words made him feel like crawling up under a rock and disappearing. He could’ve done so much more but she wouldn’t have listened, he knew that. They were both stubborn; it was inherited from their fathers. Now he was across a damn ocean and couldn’t do much about it. Not that he wanted to, shouldn’t she apologize for the things she said?

            _Selfish, arrogant boy._

            Ouch, maybe he needed to apologize for being so distant…even though he _thought_ he had a legit excuse. But of course, Theo took on her lawyer-like wit and crushed it within seconds. She was infuriatingly incredible.

            “Philip.” The barista’s voice interrupted his self-loathing mental conversation.

            He stood up and went to the counter. “Thanks.” He took the drink and saw the girl was smiling. She was cute, with her red hair in a braid, a black bandanna headband, brown eyes, and dimples that would make anyone’s knees weak. But he wasn’t in the mood for checking a girl out. Anyone who knew him in high school would be flabbergasted as he was the king of flirting. But that all changed when he met…damn it. He hated how persistent she was in his memory and thoughts.

            “You come in here a lot, and I know this is crazy to ask…but could I have your number?”

            Philip felt confused. Not confused about what she was asking, but confused that no part of him wanted to give her his number. He was single, far away from the girl he loved, in a new country, and now facing a girl who wanted to go out with him. “Oh, well since I just came over from the states I haven’t fixed my phone with roaming fees. Maybe when it’s fixed.” Philip lied through his teeth. The barista accepted it though and he walked out of the café. Theo never left his mind.

 

            On the other side of the Atlantic, Theo was walking out of a lecture. Her brain felt brutally damaged by all the aggressive note taking and essays she’d been required to do over the last few weeks. It was hell, but it did keep her mind away from…well… _him_.

            She’d gotten his voicemail about when he was leaving, and she promptly deleted it. It took everything in her power not to go, even though Angie was begging her to go and just make up with him. She appreciated Angie’s kind motive but declined. Then every day passed with the itch to text him. Certain things would pop up and her mind would jump to the conclusion that _Philip would love to hear about this_ or _Philip would die if I sent him a picture of that._ But seconds later she reminded herself that she wasn’t about to give in. He’d hurt her badly and she wasn’t going to allow him to get away with it. The pain still lingered though even if he was gone and out of her life. Of course, she thought it was just a healing pain, but she realized in regret that the pain only got worse. She cursed his name every time he made her cry at night. Curling up to her pillow, remembering the times when she could feel his chest up against her back, his heartbeat over her shoulder blade, the tickle of his curls on her neck. It was just like the knife was twisting in deeper.

            “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet these days.” Tom, an acquaintance from her class, was becoming closer every day. Theo didn’t care much for him; he was one of those people that you could live with or without.

            “I’m fine.” Theo said quietly. “You don’t need to worry.”

            “Oh…okay.” Tom nodded but continued to walk by her side out of the building. “So um…would you want to get dinner or maybe catch a movie sometime?” He asked.

            Theo glanced over at him. He was tall, well built from his spot on the hockey team, tan, intelligent for sure, and had a sweet and caring face. But to her, in that moment, he was everything she didn’t want. Of course, ask her when she was a senior in high school? All she wanted was an athletic, smart, hunk of a guy. Now it seemed like she couldn’t get off the idea of dating a…fuck…a poet. She really didn’t think Tom could write her poems like Philip could.

            “I’m pretty busy.” Theo said because it wasn’t a complete lie, she _was_ swamped with schoolwork. “Thanks for the offer though.” She diverted away from him and took the short walk back to her apartment.

 

            Despite the time difference, Theo and Philip both picked up the phone at the same time and dialed each other’s number.

            Voicemail awaited them both.

            “This is Theo, sorry I couldn’t make it to the phone, please leave a message.”

            Philip’s entire body started to ache when he heard her voice for the first time in two months. “H-Hey,” his voice cracked pathetically, “must’ve just missed you, you’re probably eating dinner. I uh…I thought of you today.” _And every day since I left.._ “I know it’s been a while but I wanted to just…call.” He sighed and covered his eyes with a hand. “If you don’t want to call back, that’s fine, I understand. Just know that I was thinking of you.”

 

            “You have reached Philip, I may be asleep, so don’t fret bro, leave a message at the beep.”

            Theo had no choice but to smile at his little rap, especially knowing that it was Angie beat boxing in the background. “Hi, I really don’t know why I’m calling. It’s been so long and I guess it’s just weird between us after what happened. But…I guess some time was a good thing and I really want to talk it out. Not sure if you want to but if you do…” Theo prayed he did. “Let me know.”


	14. Chapter 14

            The semester rolled into the summer and Philip was supposed to return home but he was dragging his feet.

            “Philip Hamilton, you’re not even packed!” Angelica exclaimed when she walked upstairs to see her nephew’s room in a mess.

            “Oh…yeah.” Philip glanced up from his laptop. “I have time…”

            “You have to leave in an hour, your uncle is ready to go when you are. You should get there early just in case.” Angelica knelt down to start to gather Philip’s things.

            “Do I have to go back?” Philip grumbled. “I mean I could go back in August…”

            “I love having you here, but you still have a life back in America whether you like it or not.” Angelica said gently and tossed his backpack onto his bed to prompt him to help her pack.

            “You mean I have a _family_ back in America. Doesn’t mean that’s a life.” Philip stuffed his laptop into his backpack and reluctantly stood up to clean up.

            “I know what you’re upset about.” Angelica said. “It’s about Theo and I know breakups are hard but you can’t just run forever. I mean have you two talked since you left?” She asked curiously. She’d been in contact with her sister to try to find out what caused the relationship to end but didn’t get much information. Eliza said she didn’t know, Philip hadn’t said anything to her. And he kept quiet about it with his aunt too.

            “No…” Philip turned away from her, pretending to be busy with folding shirts. “She called me and left a message but I didn’t listen to it.” He admitted.

            “What?” Angelica looked surprised. “Why didn’t you at least listen to it? She could’ve said she wanted to talk!” She reminded him sternly.

            “I know, I know!” Philip groaned. “I just can’t…I’m scared that she’s going to be mad still or…or tell me that she never wants to see me again.”

            “And what does that tell you?” His aunt raised an eyebrow at him.

            “I don’t know what you mean.”

            “It should tell you that you still really care for her and you want to see her again.” Angelica clarified. “Philip, you need to trust your instincts, go home, and try to at least talk to her.”

            Philip wrinkled his nose. “Staying here sounds easier.” He said childishly.

            “Life isn’t easy and love is even tougher. You’re strong, Philip, I know you can go back and talk to her.”

            Her nephew bit his lip and then hugged her tightly. “Thank you Aunt Angelica.” He said quietly.

            She smiled and hugged him back. “Don’t thank me, honey, just call me tomorrow to tell me that you talked to her. Now let’s get you to the airport, your mom would kill me if you didn’t show up on time.”

           

            Eliza was the first to fight through the crowds waiting for international flights. She found Philip and grabbed him into a hug, nearly pulling him off his feet. “I missed you so much.” She said kissing his cheeks over and over again.

            “Mom, mom!” Philip laughed and hugged her back. “It’s not like I died.”

            “Don’t be smart.” Eliza looked at him like she was making sure everything was okay with him. “How was it? Did you have fun?”

            “Yeah…I met a lot of people.” Philip said weakly. “How was everything here?” He asked.

            “Just fine, just fine, let’s get out of here, everyone’s waiting by the car.” Eliza said and led him away from the amount of people by the gate. “Did you take a lot of pictures? Angelica said you did some sightseeing.”

            “Yeah, did a little in the beginning.” Philip walked out to the parking garage and smiled when he saw his family waiting by the car. He went through the motions of hugging his father and each of his siblings. Angie hugged him but she seemed distant, not asking as many questions as she normally would’ve. It was just another reminder that Philip had to talk to Theo.

           

            Philip put his earbuds and took a deep breath. He pressed Theo’s voicemail and closed his eyes as he listened.

            _“Hi, I really don’t know why I’m calling. It’s been so long and I guess it’s just weird between us after what happened. But…I guess some time was a good thing and I really want to talk it out. Not sure if you want to but if you do…let me know.”_

            Theo was walking up to her apartment and startled a bit when she saw Philip sitting on the front step. She paused about ten feet away from him. He looked up and they locked eyes for a few awkward moments. She was a bit surprised to see he didn’t look any different. She knew it had only been a few months but it felt so much longer that she hadn’t seen him. She almost expected him to be…well…different because her opinion about him had changed so much. It was still Philip Hamilton though.

            “Hi…” Theo spoke quietly.

            “Hi.” Philip replied timidly. He stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. He felt like he was going to start to sweat up a storm. “I tried calling but…”

            “My phone smashed, I dropped it on the pavement yesterday.” Theo shrugged sheepishly.

            “Ouch.” Philip chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well I hope it’s alright I’m here. I listened to your voicemail today…finally. And sorry about that, I just didn’t know how to…deal with the fact if you didn’t want to see me again.”

            “Philip…” Theo sighed and sat down on the step, patting the wood beside her to get him to sit again.

            He sat and felt strange that it was the first time in months he’d been so close to her. “I know you didn’t say that, but I was afraid.” He clarified.

            “I get it, I was scared to listen to your message too.” Theo admitted. “I still haven’t…I’m guessing by you being here it wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be.”

            “It was awkward but I guess it was fine.” Philip shrugged and looked down at his hands resting on his knees.

            “I missed you.” Theo whispered. It was everything she wanted to say to him but felt a bit doubtful to say the words so quickly.

            “I missed you too.”

            “But I shouldn’t have.” Theo crossed her arms over her chest. “You were rude and…and horrible.” She muttered.

            “I know, don’t think I’ve forgotten.” Philip and ran a hand over his face. “Theo, I’m so sorry. I thought about what I said every day and it was torture knowing what I did. I was rude and horrible, you’re right.” He nodded. “But I really want to make it up to you.”

            Theo started to feel uncomfortable. She had missed the idea of Philip but being with him again only reminded her about the words they exchanged. “You’re a big part of my life and you have for three years. But you hurt me and I don’t know what to do now that you’re back.” She sighed.

            Philip tensed up. “Right…I get that.” He wanted to respect her as much as he could to try to show her that he’d changed.

            “I know you do, but we need time.” Theo said and decided to stand up.

            Philip looked up at her. “If you need time then that’s okay.” He nodded and stood up too. “I uh…I just wanted to apologize at the very least.”

            Theo gave him a small smile. “And I appreciate that.” She nodded. “Don’t avoid me, we can still see each other but as friends, right?”

            “Right.” Philip forced a smile back. “I lo….I’ll see you later.” He turned to walk away. He knew he deserved all of what he was given, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.


	15. Chapter 15

            “Philip.”

            “Mmf, go away.”

            Angie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe. They were both home for the summer and she was fed up with his behavior in the first few weeks of their vacation.

            “It’s two in the afternoon, get up.” His younger sister snapped. “You’ve been acting like a two-year-old ever since you got home.”

            “Angelica, it’s none of your business, go away.” Philip said again and threw his pillow over his head.

            “No, I’m not going away. You’re my brother and I love you, but you can’t just act like this because she broke up with you.”

            “It was mutual.” Philip mumbled.

            “Do you think I care? For God’s sake get the hell out of bed and get over yourself.”

            Philip threw his pillow aside and sat up. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.”

            “I’ll talk to you like you’re a child if you’re acting like one.” Angie replied stubbornly. “Go out, meet other girls, your life isn’t over.”

            “I thought you liked Theo.” Philip said feeling a bit let down that his baby sister was talking at him like a life coach.

            “I do, but you’re my brother.” She repeated. “You always come first no matter how stupid you act.”

            Philip wrinkled his nose and stood up. “Fine, if I get up, will you leave?” He asked.

            “That’s a start.” Angie finally smiled and left his room. “I’ll even make you lunch because I’m the best sister ever!” She sang and went downstairs.

 

            Philip was about to leave after eating lunch with his siblings. Theo had texted him saying she was going to get a coffee and if he wanted to go with her. It wasn’t abnormal; they’d met up a few times during the summer. Philip felt like he was only trying to cling onto the last shreds of their relationship. But they still remained friends, and it showed.

            “Philip.” Alexander stopped his son from leaving. “Lafayette called, he said Marie was driving up from D.C to visit. You should text her to meet up.”

            “Oh…yeah sure.” Philip nodded. Marie was like a cousin to him, and had come from France with her family to move to Maryland. They were about the same age and got along well. Little did he know, she would help him out big time.

            “Hey, sorry I’m late.” Philip smiled when he saw Theo was sitting outside of the café.

            “That’s alright, I got you coffee.” Theo held it out to him and smiled back. “You’re lucky you haven’t changed your order in three years.”

            “And I probably never will.” He sat down and took the coffee from her. “I’ll pay you back.”

            “Oh no, don’t worry…”

            “Philip!” Marie Antoinette Virginie Motier de Lafayette ran up to the table. She was as French as they came, her accent still strong after four years in America; she was loud, boisterous and talked as fast as her father did. She had dark hair, tall, slim, and was the definition of Paris fashion.

            “Hey, Marie.” Philip smiled and stood up to hug her. “Marie, this is Theo, Theo, this is Marie she’s visiting from Washington.”

            “Oh, nice to meet you.” Theo was surprised seeing as Philip hadn’t mentioned that he would be meeting with someone. Not that she cared…

            Marie sat down and crossed her legs. “Philip ‘as talked so much about you, Theo.”

            “Really?” Theo nodded. “Well we were roommates for a bit.”

            Philip’s jaw tightened. _Roommates._ Please, they’d dated for a longer time than they were goddamn roommates. He decided not to dwell on the choice of words though. Instead he just nodded like she had.

            “Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming, I would’ve gotten you a coffee too.” Theo said still a little thrown off by the French girl who had suddenly intervened.

            “That’s fine, I can do without ze calories.” Marie brushed her off. “Philip, you should have seen ze traffic…”

            Theo blinked and looked down at her coffee. What was that nagging feeling in the back of her throat? The undeniable urge to say Philip was hers? That Philip didn’t care about calories? That Philip had spent more than enough nights holding her close, not giving two shits about how much she weighed? She ground her teeth together and swallowed the idea of spewing all those words. They weren’t dating anymore, it wouldn’t matter at all.

            Philip noticed that Theo looked like she hadn’t been woken up early after two hours of sleep. He knew that meant she was jealous, he knew he better than she thought he did. That’s when he realized _what_ she was jealous about. She thought Marie was just some girl he knew. Oh the irony…not real irony but…the tables had certainly turned. It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed Theo had changed her Facebook status, that boys had started to flirt with her on her profile, and he certainly couldn’t ignore the fact that she had taken a call from someone named Tom one time. Tom…who was Tom? It hadn’t taken more than asking Angie for a favor. She stalked him on all his social media pages and reported back to her brother that he was in Theo’s class. Tom…

            But now it was Theo who was undeniably jealous. He wasn’t happy; it was just another nudge to the fact that there was more strife between them. Strife he didn’t want anymore, he wanted to hold her again.

            “Marie, you remember how to get to my folks house right?” Philip asked, interrupting her rant on New York traffic.

            “Of course, are zey expecting me?” Marie’s doe eyes lit up.

            “Yeah, and I’ll meet up with you there in a little bit. We can all go out to dinner tonight.” Philip promised and stood up to let Marie kiss his cheeks before leaving. He sat back down and looked over at Theo. She had her arms crossed over her chest and the sour look hadn’t left her face. “I never would’ve taken you for a jealous person.” He said casually.

            “Jealous?” Theo raised an eyebrow. “Of her? You know I can speak fluent French right? German and Spanish.” She added.

            “It’s alright, Theo, I know you’re smart.” Philip rolled his eyes subtly. “But, yeah, jealous.”

            “Don’t flatter yourself, Hamilton, I don’t need to be jealous over you.” Theo replied sharply. She hated the smug look on his face; it was driving her insane inside.

            “Hamilton? That’s a new one, spending more time with your dad?” Philip seemed incredulous with the fact that she had _really_ referred to him by his last name.

            “Shut up, I hate your sarcasm.” Theo was livid the more he talked. It was like he was trying to get her more and more riled up.

            “I wasn’t being sarcastic.” Philip replied. “Why are you acting like a Burr?”

            “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

            “Forget it. You’re just jealous over some girl who I consider is my _cousin_.” Philip told her. “Trust me, Theodosia, she’s the last person I would ever date. Sorry you miss me.”

            Theo took a shaky breath when she realized Marie wasn’t flirting with him. She was just…overreacting. She wasn’t jealous though, she would never agree to that. “You’re welcome for the coffee.” She snapped and grabbed her bag to make a hasty exit. She was done being belittled by her ex-boyfriend.

            “Theo…” Philip grabbed her by the wrist in an attempt to stop her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things.”

            “Oh so your apology rate is faster now?” Theo answered sarcastically. “Just leave me alone, Philip, we both knew this wouldn’t work out.”

            “That what wouldn’t work?” Philip stood up. “Being friends? I thought it was going well, you got to walk all over my heart, you didn’t want that?” He was starting to pick up on her anger and was ready to return it. He’d kept his peace for too long, he wanted to air everything out if she wanted to too.

            “For God’s sake, you’re being dramatic. Just leave me alone.” She repeated.

            “Go ahead.” Philip let go of her. “If you really want to leave then you’re free to. But just know that this wasn’t my idea. I wanted to work things out but you didn’t want to accept my apology, that’s fine.

            Theo didn’t move. A part of her wanted to leave, and turn her back on him, but a great majority of her couldn’t bear it. She wasn’t dependent on him, she was strong, and she didn’t need someone who didn’t need her. It was the usual things she tried to remind herself as she felt that horrible pang of missing him. “You hurt me.” She whispered.

            “And you hurt me in these last few days.” Philip replied. “We were both looking to hurt each other for no good reason. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened. Listen to me; everything we’ve been through…it’s not some little thing. I honestly can’t know what life would be like without you. I lived without you before but now that I know you…it’s not possible anymore. And whether that’s just being a friend, okay, it’s up to you. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss you every night. I love you and that’s never changed.” He took a deep breath when he realized he’d gone on without remembering to inhale.

            “Why did I fall in love with a poet?” Theo sighed deeply.

            “Your father asks the same thing.” Philip smiled meekly. “Give me another chance. I want to make this work.” He took her hands in his.

            She looked at their hands and couldn’t help but feel missing warmth was returned to her. “I hate that I love you.” She whispered.

            “I’ll change that…I can be better.”

            “Philip, you shouldn’t have to change for me just like I won’t change for you.” Theo withdrew her hands from his. “I want to make things work but I’m scared you’ll just shy away from me again. I can’t take another heartbreak. I’ll call you later.” She turned and clutched her bag close to her.

            “Theo…” Philip called after her.

            She stopped, still hesitant about going and his voice made her want to stay even more. “What?” She said without turning around.

            “Come back to my apartment, just for tonight. If it doesn’t work I won’t bother you about it again.” Philip promised.

            “One night.” Theo moved to look back at him.

            “One night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marie was a lot older than Philip but it's not like anything else in the fic is legit >.


	16. Chapter 16

            They ended up at the Burr’s instead of Philip’s apartment like they’d intended. Philip’s roommates were supposed to be having a party and the meant little to no privacy. It was closer and Theo said her father wouldn’t be home until the next day.

            Theo woke up feeling completely warm on the outside and inside. She was resting against Philip’s chest with her hand over his heart. It was like she’d never left, that all the turmoil in their relationship was just a nightmare. But it wasn’t…she still had to live with the fact that they had a falling out.

            She got up, letting Philip sleep. She threw on her bathrobe and silently left the room. Her mind was spinning as she walked downstairs. Not hungry, she wandered into her father’s office instead of the kitchen. Aside from his work, it was where Aaron kept all of his pictures of Theodosia. It was like he wanted to keep his grief for his late wife hidden away from the rest of the world.

            Theo took her favorite photograph off the bookshelf and perched on the edge of the desk. It was her mother, a few days after bringing her home from the hospital. Theo was wrapped up in a pink swaddle and was being held close by her mother. Theo wished she could remember that moment. Her mother was so young, beautiful, and rid of the illness that would later claim her life. Her mother would know what to do about Philip; she seemed to know how to sort through everything.

            The stairs creaked as Philip walked down them. He was a little nervous to see that Theo wasn’t next to him when he woke up. It was a fear that she’d decided one night was enough and she didn’t want to see him again. But he figured he should go look for her before he came to conclusions. “Theo?” He saw the office door open and he poked his head in. “Hey.” He smiled when he saw her.

            Theo looked up and set the picture frame aside. “Hi.” She replied softly. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the night before. Seeing him and that smile only made her ache for him more. She was yearning for an answer to her dilemma but her brain only kept coming to the conclusion that she missed him.

            Philip noticed all the pictures and took a look at a few of them. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen your dad look that happy.” He noted.

            “I haven’t seen him look that happy since my mom got sick.” Theo sighed. “I know he just seems strict but he wasn’t always that way. My mother was…I guess just perfect for him.”

            Philip bit his lip. He wasn’t sure what to say having never lost a family member. “I uh…”

            “You don’t have to say anything to that, I’m just being a little broody.” Theo slid off the desk. “Call it the morning blues.”

            “Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ll make breakfast for you.” Philip offered and wrapped his arms around her.

            “My dad’ll be home.” Theo buried her face in his chest. She listened to his steady heartbeat and closed her eyes. “Why isn’t it so easy to just get back together?” She asked.

            “Because I was a huge asshole.” Philip answered. “And I don’t deserve you back.”

            “You’re so dramatic.” Theo looked up at him. “This is our last year on campus together, what are we going to do after that?” She asked wondering if he was serious about getting back together.

            “I’ll have my bachelor’s so I can just get writing. And being a poet means I can live anywhere. So wherever you go to med school, I’ll be there.” Philip vowed.

            “And you’ll be loyal?”

            “Like a Labrador.”

            “You won’t do that distance thing again?”

            “I can’t run away from you again, my heart won’t let me.”

            “And you’ll write poems for me?”

            “Every day.” Philip kissed her forehead.

            “To fall in love with a poet…” Theo sighed a bit dramatically and smiled.

            “Does that mean you’ll take me back?” Philip asked hopefully, his eyes lighting up.

            “I guess so.” Theo wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him softly.

 

            The New Year rolled in and Philip turned twenty-four. His relationship with Theo was as strong as ever, he made up with Angie, and it seemed like the Hamiltons and Burrs were starting to become more and more accustomed to each other. The two families spent some holidays together and Alexander and Aaron were spending less time arguing and more time conversing professionally.

            For Theo, she felt like she was finally finding her life that she’d always secretly wanted. She had a caring, loving boyfriend; she was top of her class at Colombia, and on a good page with her father. She was happy, and in love. Then her world was rocked majorly.

 

            It was nearing on midnight when there was a knock on the apartment door. George, one of Philip’s roommates, opened the door. “Oh, hey Theo.” He said. “You here for Philip?”

            “Yeah, is he here?” Theo wrung her hands together and prayed that he was. She shivered a bit at the January winds nipping at her exposed face.

            “We’re watching a movie, c’mon in.” George let her inside and she walked into the den.

            Philip turned in his seat on the couch and smiled when he saw his girlfriend. “Hey, you’re up late, I didn’t think you were coming over.”

            “Sorry, I tried texting you…”

            “Oh shit, my phone’s upstairs charging.” Philip stood up. “What’s up?” He asked. Theo swallowed but couldn’t get any words out. He noticed she looked upset. “Theo…?” He touched her arm.

            “I need to talk to you alone.” She whispered.

            “Alright…” Philip put an arm around her to lead her upstairs. He didn’t say anything else until they were in his room and the door was shut.

            Theo burst out into tears out of the blue. Philip panicked immediately. Things had been going all right between them so it was completely unexpected that she would be crying. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” He put both hands on her upper arms to try to get her to look at him.

            “I’m so sorry, this is all my fault.” Theo sobbed and clung to him tightly.

            “What’s your fault? What happened?” Philip demanded, scared that something terrible had happened to her by the way she was acting.

            “I-I’m pregnant.” Theo felt his hands go slack. She buried her face in his shoulder and hoped he would say something but he didn’t. “Philip, I’m s-so sorry…”

            Philip felt like the room was spinning. He wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to ground himself. “D-don’t apologize.” He finally got the words out.

            “Say something then.” She begged.

            “I uh…I don’t know what to say.” Philip said truthfully. “It’s a shock…”

            “You’re telling me.” Theo replied sternly. “Philip…” She pulled away to look at him. “I don’t know what to do. I’m…I’m only twenty-three!”

            “I know, I know.” Philip ran a hand through his hair. “Shit…I thought we were being careful…”

            “I did too!” Theo cried.

            “What are we going to do?” Philip asked. “I don’t know anything about being a father…”

            “And I know about being a mother?!” Theo exclaimed. “Philip, I don’t know what the fuck to do, there’s a fetus growing in my uterus!”

            Philip winced. “Graphic…but you rhymed…” He laughed a little bit out of sheer panic.

            “Oh _real_ mature, Philip, you’re really proving to be a good candidate for a father.” Theo replied sarcastically and crossed her arms over her chest.

            “Sorry!” He held up his hands in defense. “I don’t know what to do or say this is…I wasn’t expecting this at all!”

            “And I was?” Theo sat down on his bed and put her head in her hands. “My dad is going to kill me.”

            “Yeah after he beheads me and sticks me out in his front yard to warn all men.” Philip grumbled and sat next to her. “But I’ll take my chances.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You know you don’t have to go through with it. There are other options.” He reminded her quietly.

            “I know.” Theo sighed deeply. “But I feel like it would just make me wonder the rest of my life. I mean what if we do get married and have kids in the future? I would always wonder what that baby would grow up to be. I dunno…” She shrugged. “I think I would just feel better going through with it.”

            “Right.” Philip agreed. “Married…” Then an idea formed slowly in his head. “Theo…we could get married!” He jumped up like the idea shot a jolt of electricity through him.

            “What?” Theo looked at him like he was crazy. She was beginning to believe that he was.

            “We could get married right away and then have the baby after. People will just think it was a honeymoon thing.” Philip pointed out. “I mean you can’t be more than a month along right? People can question but we can just skew the timing a little.”

            “Right…but Philip our parents wouldn’t like us being married anymore than they would like to know I was pregnant.” She reasoned. “That’s ridiculous.”

            “Maybe not, I mean they would rather us get married and then have kids right? They could get over the fact that we got married so soon.”

            “I guess…but what if they find out?” Theo asked. “They would just think we’re getting married because of a baby. I want to get married for a good reason, not have people think I don’t really love you. What kind of person would I look like?”

            “And it will be for love, you and I both know that. It doesn’t matter what other people think.” Philip knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. “I love you and I’ve been pretty certain since day one that we were going to stay together. So what if we jump the gun, I still love you more than anything and I want to marry you.”

            Theo leaned over to kiss his forehead. “I love you too.” She whispered even though she was feeling slightly overwhelmed. "But we're so young, Philip, do you really want to marry me?" 

            "If you want to marry me." Philip replied. "Yeah, I honestly do. Look, I know it's kind of crazy but I'm almost half way to thirty. We're graduating in just a few months. I don't want to go into the 'real world' without you by my side." 

            She touched his cheek. "I don't want to either." She said quietly. "If you want to marry me and start a family then...you're on Philip Hamilton." She smiled slightly. "If you're up for the challenge." 

           "I'm game." Philip grinned and took her hands in his. "Let's do it." 


	17. Chapter 17

            “Dad…I’m getting married.” Theo held the phone tightly as if it would get her father to stay calm.

            “What?” Aaron wondered if he had misheard her, because he certainly wasn’t expecting it.

            “Married…I’m uh engaged. Philip asked me last night if I would marry him and I said yes.”

            “Theodosia….”

            “And I know what you’re going to say but I don’t care.” Theo was shaking hard. She was never the type of girl to disappoint her father; it had always been her worst fear. But she knew she was doing the right thing for her future child and she wasn’t going to let him change her mind. “I love Philip…and I know he loves me. The only reason you’re upset is because of politics and that’s not a legit reason.”

            “You know the Hamiltons are no good. I’ve tolerated this for long enough but you need to be serious about your life. Maybe you should consider marrying into a better family.”

            “Dad, just please let it go. They are not some evil family, they’re kind and I know you know that.” Theo tried to reason with him softly. “They’re the ones who invited us over for Christmas. I thought you were getting along well with Mr. Hamilton.”

            “And then his arrogant son broke your heart.” He replied fiercely. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, forget how Theo called him up in tears about their breakup. When she’d told them they were back together, he begrudgingly went along with it…again. But he’d kept a sharp lookout for anything Philip did wrong. He did _not_ want Theo to be hurt by him again.

            “And I got over that. Every relationship has its ups and downs. I really love him and I want to stay with him. And…and I need you to-to support my decision.”

            Aaron sighed. He could hear how much she wanted him to listen and that made him feel conflicted. Theo had always been the light of his life after Theodosia had passed. All he wanted to do was bring her up well, educate her, protect her, and make sure she was happy. As much as he hated it, Philip made her happy. “He didn’t even ask me first.” He complained. “A proper gentleman would have come to ask for my blessing first. It’s not old fashioned, it’s common courtesy.”

            “I know…and he said he was going to but I suppose the moment was just too good to pass up.” Theo put a hand on her stomach and reminded herself not to say anything. Of course it was a good opportunity, she’d told the poor guy he was going to be a father out of the blue. No matter what, Theo wanted her father to think they were getting married because they loved each other, which was true. She didn’t want him to think Philip had knocked her up so she felt she _had_ to marry him.

            “You’re absolutely sure?” Aaron asked.

            “Of course. Please…will you come to the wedding? I need you to give me away, I wouldn’t want anyone else to do it.” Theo said softly. She figured she could use a little warm and fuzzy fluff to get him to give in.

            “I’m not giving you away to him…but I suppose I could walk you down the aisle.” Aaron sighed. “I just think it’s too soon. You’re still so young, what about your degree? Graduate school?”

            “I can still do those things while I’m married.” Theo reminded him. “Philip supports me in that, it’s not like he’s going to lock me away.”

            “Alright then.” Aaron grumbled. “I’ll get in touch with the Hamiltons to make arrangements. If you want to get married you’re going to have the perfect wedding, nothing less for my daughter.”

            Theo smiled and felt tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much, daddy.” She said softly.

 

            “Hey pops…is mom around?” Philip was on his way to visit Theo to see if her phone call to her father had gone over well.

            “She’s right here, why?” Alexander glanced over at his wife who was curled up on the couch reading next to him.

            Eliza looked up. “Is that Philip?” She asked.

            Alexander nodded. “Do you need to talk to her?” He asked his son. “I’ll give her the phone…”

            “No, I actually need to talk to both of you so could you put your phone on speaker?” Philip asked.

            “Sure…hold on.” Philip looked at his phone. “Uh…the little button with the…Eliza, which button is speakerphone?” He asked.

            “This one.” Eliza tapped the button. “Hi, sweetheart, how are you?” She said.

            “I’m great, mom. I’ve got some news about Theo and I.”

            Alexander’s stomach dropped. “Philip Hamilton, don’t you dare say you got that girl pregnant.” He warned. It was his worst nightmare, a baby that genetically linked the Hamilton and Burr family trees together…for good.

            Philip winced. “No…we’re baby free.” _Lie_. “No, we uh…well I proposed yesterday and she said she’d marry me. So…I guess we’re getting married.”

            “Oh that’s great, Philip, we’re very happy for you.” Eliza elbowed her husband in the side when he didn’t say anything for a bit.

            “Ecstatic.” Alexander grumbled. “But don’t you think it’s a little too soon, son?” He asked hoping he could get through to him. Marriage tended to lead to children and his fear was still prevalent. He was sure a Hamilton-Burr child would tear the world apart. “You both are young and you have so much ahead of you. You have more than enough time to get married.”

            “I know but we figured we’d just get the wedding over with while we’re young so we can work on our careers.” Philip tried to come up with an explanation that would convince both of them to just agree to it and not ask any further questions.

            “We were younger than them when we got married.” Eliza reminded Alexander.

            “Yeah but…”

            “Yeah but nothing. We can’t wait to have the wedding.” Eliza said. “Has Theo talked to her father yet? We should all get together to talk about plans.”

            “Yeah she’s telling him now. Thank you so much for being supportive.” Philip sighed in relief. Maybe there would be a chance that no one would notice the pregnancy until it was a good enough time.

 

 

            “Theo, Philip’s here!” Her roommate called up to her one afternoon. She was supposed to be studying but she was procrastinating a little bit.

            Theo sat up on her bed and smiled. She was so afraid that the news of the pregnancy would damage their relationship but it only seemed to make things better. He was more attentive and they got along better as they planned for their future.

            Philip trotted up the stairs and went into her room. “So I found that special chocolate bar with bacon in it. Either you’re getting food cravings from the baby already or you have bizarre food tastes.”

            “It’s the latter, this stuff is great.” Theo smiled and took the chocolate from him. “I love you.” She pecked his cheek as he sat down next to her on the bed.

            “Studying? Oh no you’re reading…what is this?” Philip turned the magazine that was resting on her medical textbook. “Brides? You got a Brides magazine?” He grinned. “Someone is getting excited about marrying me, huh?” He teased.

            Theo rolled her eyes and snatched the magazine from his hands. “Shut up, at least I’m planning.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Were you going to get a tux early or wait the day before the wedding?”

            “Hey, I’ve been planning my bachelor party.” Philip defended himself playfully. “Let me see it.” He held a hand out.

            Theo sighed and gave him the magazine back. “It’s not fair, you can drink.” She grumbled. “I have to care for our child by not drinking or eating certain foods.”

            “And you’re a perfect goddess for it.” Philip seemed to know exactly what to say to make her giggle. He flipped through the magazine. “You’d look so beautiful in all of these.” He said softly.

            “You can imagine me in a wedding dress?” Theo asked quietly.

            “Well…yeah I mean I had a dream that we got married once. It was weird, there were frogs everywhere for some reason and my sister was speaking in French. Hopefully the frog thing won’t happen.” Philip shrugged.

            Theo smiled and shook her head. “It might spice things up.”

            Philip chuckled. “Maybe it would make things go smoother, our fathers wouldn’t be able to argue with frogs everywhere.”

            “Don’t even mention that, I’m terrified of planning this wedding with everyone.” She admitted. “My dad said he would do everything to make it a perfect ceremony but he didn’t promise he wouldn’t be difficult in the process.”

            “Just know that we’ll all make it out alive.” Philip said and put the Brides magazine aside. He moved to gently pin Theo to the bed. He hovered over her resting on his elbows. “Then we’ll go on a honeymoon, and then not too long after we’ll be parents.”

            “That’s terrifying to think of.” Theo reached up to brush his wild curls out of his face. “I know you’ll be the perfect father, you’re the oldest of seven. I’m an only child, I’ve never babysat anyone’s kid, and so I obviously don’t know anything about caring for children.”

            Philip just rolled his eyes. “Bullshit, you’ll be the best mother ever.” He told her. “My siblings love you, Liza always asks for you if you’re not around. You’re caring, you’re gentle, and beautiful.”

            “Being beautiful doesn’t make someone a good parent.” Theo protested.

            “I know I just wanted to let you know again. Trust me, Theo; you’ll be a great mother. You’re smart, you’re patient, you’re…”

            “Alright, alright, I get it.” Theo blushed. “You don’t have to keep flattering me.”

            Philip smiled slightly. He gently rested a hand over her stomach, feeling the slight baby bump. “It’s really weird knowing there’s a kid in there. I mean…that’s going to be a teenager one day.”

            “That’s normally how childbirth works, yeah.” Theo teased. “But I get what you mean. What’s she or he going to look like? Will they be a musician, or an athlete…or maybe an astronaut?” She sighed thoughtfully.

            “They’ll be extremely smart, with their mother’s genes.” Philip smiled and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

            “I love you too.” Theo murmured. “So much so that I’m going through a wedding and childbirth with you.” She smirked.

            “You deserve a gold medal.” He chuckled. “You’re one of the bravest women I know.”

            “Mm, I don’t need a medal, just hold me.” Theo murmured.

            “Deal.” He shifted over and pulled her close to him. He rested his hands over her stomach. She moved so she placed her hands over his. It seemed so cliché, but it gave her butterflies.


	18. Chapter 18

            But it was inevitable that something would happen that would add hostility to the wedding planning. Initially, Eliza was going to take control of the plans to help Theo. Aaron was over in a rare occasion for the Burr and Hamilton families to spend dinner together. “I’ve spoken to an old colleague to book the hall. It’s short notice but I’ll be able to secure a booking…”

            “That sounds perfect.”

            “Hang on,” Alexander cut his wife off. “Do I know this colleague?” He asked suspiciously.

            “I can’t imagine that matters…”     

            “It will, if this friend of yours is a political enemy of mine. Is it Jefferson? If it’s Jefferson then…”

            “Pops!”          

            “Alexander!” Philip and Eliza were both quick to scold him.

            “What?

            Theo stood up quickly. “Excuse me.” She said abruptly and hurried off to the bathroom, covering her mouth.

            Eliza stood up in concern when she heard her daughter-in-law get sick in the bathroom. “Theodosia?” She knocked on the door. “Darling, are you alright?”

            Theo got to her feet and rinsed out her mouth out in the sink. “I’m all right, thank you.” She answered shakily.

            Eliza opened the door not convinced that she was. “Are you ill?” She checked her forehead for a fever like she would her own children.

            “No, I’m just…” Theo felt like crying. She couldn’t hide it anymore. The few weeks or so had been pure torture to her. Her morning sickness was driving her crazy and it only reminded her that she didn’t have a doctor to track the baby’s progress yet. Not having her mother around made it tough to even know what to do. And a look on baby forums only came up with the horrific crazy moms who worried about every little check up, cough, ultrasound, and lifestyle choices. Theo had wasted an entire cup of coffee when she read something about the dangers of caffeine. She spit it out and called Philip in a panic thinking she’d poisoned their child. She was a med student and was normally very sure of herself but now that she was in the position of being a mother, every little thing seemed like an unknown danger.

            “Oh, Eliza, I don’t know what to do.” She broke down. All the stress of the last few weeks finally came to a snapping point.

            “Sh, it’s okay.” Eliza hugged her. “What do you mean, darling?”

            “Philip and I agreed not to tell anyone, but I can’t keep lying to everyone. I have no idea what I’m doing. I could be doing every thing wrong.” Theo hiccupped and hugged her back tightly. She was so desperate to have a relationship with a mother figure, something she had been missing for years. It felt perfect to have someone to confide in and feel like she was being listened to and cared about.

            It started to dawn on Eliza. She’d noticed a change in Theo, especially the small bump that only showed in the rare occasion when she _wasn’t_ wearing something baggy. She may have only been two months along, but nothing got past Eliza, a veteran of seven pregnancies, when it came to baby bumps. It started to add up, they were hiding it from her. “Why…why wouldn’t you tell us? What about your father?” She asked gently. She didn’t want Theo to think she was mad at her. She wasn’t mad, she was shocked to say the least.

            “I couldn’t tell him, he’d be angry with Philip, he’d think we were only getting married because…because of…” Theo couldn’t get the words out; it felt like she would just throw up again. “I don’t know what to do. I mean…I don’t have a doctor for it, I’m not drinking or anything. But I can’t know if I’m doing something wrong. I mean what if I trip and fall? Should I be taking vitamins?” She started to ramble out all of her fears. “And what if…”

            “I understand but you can’t get hung up on what-ifs.” Eliza said softly. “I’m sure you’re doing just fine, but you’re right, we should get you in for a check-up.” She smoothed Theo’s hair and touched her shoulder. “I’m just glad you could confide in me. We’ll keep this a secret from your father and Alexander. They don’t need to know yet.”

            Theo smiled and nodded. “Thank you.” But they didn’t have to keep their secret for more than a minute because in the next room there was an explosion.

           

            “Has she been sick for long?” Aaron looked at Philip like he wasn’t caring for his daughter properly.

            Philip nearly forgot who he was with for a moment. “No, she’s not sick. I think it’s just morning…” He quickly stopped himself before he could say it.

            “What was that?” Aaron asked and immediately tensed up. “Morning sickness?” He finished the sentence for him.

            Philip started to sweat and Alexander looked at his son with confusion.

            “Philip…”

            Aaron was quick to his feet. “You…you arrogant, lying, piece of…you ruined her life! She could’ve gone onto do so many things but now you’ve infected her with that damn Hamilton gene!” He felt like strangling the boy.

            “It was a mistake!” Philip tried to defend himself and stood up to try to put some distance between him and the angry father.

            “A mistake? “ Aaron grabbed Philip by his shirt.

            “Burr, let him go!” Alexander demanded sternly.

            Eliza and Theo heard the scuffle and went out to see what was going on. Aaron let go of Philip and had a look of betrayal on his face when he saw his daughter walk into the room.

            “Dad…” Theo realized he had somehow found out about the pregnancy. The relief from knowing Eliza wouldn’t tell was dashed in an instant.

            “Don’t speak.” Aaron held up a hand. “I may not have been perfect after your mother passed but I tried. You tell me you’re dating a Hamilton with an English major. I thought it wouldn’t last until you tell me you’re marrying him. I put up with it because I love you. I paid for everything just so you could be happy with this scoundrel. But I’ll be _damned_ if I let you marry him because of a pregnancy! What about your reputation? What about your degree?”

            “It’s not because of that!” Theo had tears in her eyes. She couldn’t stand the level of disappointment from him it was crushing her slowly. “I love him and yes the baby was a surprise, but I would’ve married him in the long run anyways. We just wanted to try to make it less bothersome for everyone. We didn’t want people to think it was because of the baby! It’s because we’re happy together and want to plan a life!”

            “No…no…” Aaron shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “Yes! How would you know?” Theo cried making the room go silent. “I’ve always been your little girl, but I’m grown up now and I have dreams and they involve Philip and now they involve a little girl or boy. And that child is going to be your grandchild!”

            “You had dreams to be a doctor, you had dreams to save people, to help people, and now you’re going to just let that all go for one boy?” Aaron asked in a quiet voice.

            “I’m not letting those dreams go. I’ll show you, I’ll get my degree and practice medicine. But I want someone I love by my side. And if we have a baby added to the mix, then that’s just how it is.” Theo shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. “But this is my life and you’re not going to run it just because of how you feel.”       

            Aaron looked taken aback. “Then don’t expect me to show up to this shotgun wedding. I won’t have any part of it.”

            “Aaron…” Eliza tried to intervene.

            “Daddy, no, please…”

            “Enough!” Aaron roared. “I said, I won’t have any part of it!” He repeated and left in a huff.

            “No…” Theo sobbed and nearly collapsed to the floor from the devastation she felt. The hormones from the pregnancy only added to the hyper-emotional moment.

            Philip quickly caught her and held her tightly in his arms. “Sh, it’s okay.” Philip whispered.

            Alexander left the room and Eliza followed him not sure where he was going. “Alexander, where are you going?” She asked.

            “Aaron is right, Eliza, what if they are just getting married because of the pregnancy?” Alexander asked when they were out of earshot.

            “I know why you both feel that way, but I don’t think they would get married unless they loved each other.” Eliza said honestly. “They’re smart and it’s not like how it was back when we were young. Look, Alexander, I know you’re upset but just remember how in love they are. You know they’re in love, you can’t tell me you don’t see that every day.”

            “I know but Eliza you’re naïve to think that this is just because they love each other. You’re telling me they would’ve gotten married in a month if there wasn’t a pregnancy?” Alexander raised an eyebrow.

            “Well…maybe not next month but in the next few years I think so.” Eliza nodded. “I was planning to give him my mother’s engagement ring.”

            “Great…” Alexander sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I know you love them, I know you think they’re perfect together, but they’re still just children. They don’t know what it’s like to start a family and stay stable.”

            “And we did?” Eliza crossed her arms over her chest. “We were nineteen, when we got married, Alexander, Philip was a honeymoon baby, you honestly think we were better off than they were? They’re probably more stable than we were.”

            Alexander made an exasperated noise. He hated when she was right. “But…”

            “But your argument is nothing.” Eliza said firmly. “You have to be supportive of them now more than ever. At this point they’re going to get married whether we like it or not. Don’t you want to be there for your first-born’s wedding?”

            “Don’t say that, you’re making me feel old. It’s bad enough Theo said the ‘G’ word.” Alexander mumbled grumpily.

            “Oh you mean, grandchild?” Eliza smiled. She’d been thrilled to hear the word. “You can’t tell me you’re not even the slightest bit excited. I mean we get to babysit but we don’t have to deal with the sleepless nights. All the joys of a newborn but no downsides, Philip and Theo have to deal with those.”

            “Well…that’s not terrible…” Alexander realized. “And we get to spoil the kid.”

            “Exactly.” Eliza kissed his cheek. “Now go talk to Aaron, he might need a little help coming around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started a one shot collection for Philip and Theo and I started an angst challenge for a bunch of different Hamilton ships. So if you'd like some PhilTheo AUs or some angsty one shots go check them out on my page! Thanks for all the support for this fic, it's incredible. I get so happy when people take the time to compliment my writing, honestly you're all so kind. There's not enough space here to thank you guys for making my day when you comment.


	19. Chapter 19

            Angelica Hamilton was mad. She traveled from Boston all the way to New York City just to chew her brother out. She banged on the apartment door and crossed her arms over her chest.

            Philip answered the door and was surprised to see his sister standing there. He hadn’t heard that she was coming home for the weekend. “Hey kiddo, what’s up?” He smiled.

            “What’s up?” Angie raised an eyebrow at him. “Where’s your fiancee? I need to talk to both of you.” She demanded.

            Theo heard Angie’s voice at the door and went to greet her. “Hey gorgeous, we didn’t know you were coming by!” She was happy to see her practically adopted sister.

            “When were you planning on telling me?” Angie asked firmly. “Either of you, when were you going to tell me?”

            Philip groaned and shook his head. “Mom told you about the pregnancy didn’t she?”

            “Yeah she did! No thanks to you!” Angie exclaimed. “Pip, Theo, you kept this from me! I'm your baby sister, I should've been the first person you told!” She protested.

            “Sorry Ange, we weren’t planning on telling anyone, though.” Theo said sympathetically. “It sort of got out of our hands.”

            “You weren’t?” Angie looked a bit startled.

            “We were waiting to get married first. At least you’re family, I guess it doesn’t matter if it stays in the family.”

            “Ha…ha…oops.” Angie laughed nervously.

            He narrowed his eyes at his sister. “You did not tell anyone…please tell me you didn’t tell anyone.”

            “I may have told a few people…” She admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t know you guys were keeping it quiet, mom didn’t mention it.”

            Philip closed his eyes and had to take a few deep breaths. “Who did you tell?”

            “I don’t think it matters who I told…what matters is what’s on Twitter now.” Angie pulled up Twitter on her phone. “Here,”

            Philip took the phone and nearly fainted. “Great…just great. Your father is just going to love me now.” He muttered to Theo and let her see the tweet.

            “Phillip Hamilton and Theodosia Burr are expecting…why does the news even care about us?” Theo read out loud.

            “Because you’re the daughter and son of politicians who don’t agree on anything.” Angie answered. “People think you’re cute together.” She shrugged.

            “Thanks…thanks a lot Angie, this really helps us. It’s not like we didn’t have enough to deal with.” Philip grumbled unhappily.

            “Hey, Theo was posting Instagram pictures that made her obviously look like she was pregnant.” Angie defended herself.

            “But no one notices, you didn’t know until mom told you.” Philip replied. “Just go home, mom and dad are probably waiting for you.”

            “Alright, I’ll be around. I need to go write this conversation down for my speech at the wedding.” Angie smirked. “This is funny.” She turned and started to walk down the street.

            “You’ll get to say something at our wedding over my dead body!” Philip called out but she just laughed at him. He groaned before shutting the door.

            “Oh…I already promised she could because I sort of asked her to be my maid of honor.” Theo smiled with a wince. “Sorry.”

            Philip shut his eyes. “That’s fine just…you’re just going to hear about all these embarrassing moments from my childhood.” He grumbled.

            “I think it’ll be cute.” Theo giggled softly and kissed his cheek. “She’s like a sister to me now.”

            Philip sighed and pulled her close. “I know, I know.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. "But you don't get to tease me about my embarrassing stories."

 

 

            Theo was six months pregnant before the wedding day came. Initially, she was supposed to only be three months, but RSVP notices went out and none from Aaron were returned. Alexander tried to talk to him a few times, then Eliza, but he was still hurt. Every time he didn’t respond, Theo pushed the date back.

            Notices were sent out, her dress was refitted to accommodate for her growing stomach, and the date change fees were paid.

            Finally, Theo couldn’t hold back anymore. Her pregnancy was more than visible and there was only so much a bouquet of flowers and a cleverly made dress could hide. She couldn’t make another excuse and yet another RSVP from her father was missing.

 

            Two nights before the wedding, Philip sat up startled when he heard the first rumble of thunder. He jolted again when a flash of lightning passed over the room. “Theo.” He whispered and reached over to his pregnant fiancee.

            Theo grumbled and turned over. “Philip, I’m tired.” She slurred. “Go to bed.”

            “But it’s…it’s…” Philip felt his stomach flip in fear when another bolt of lightning struck the sky.

            “What’s the matter?” Theo asked still not opening her eyes.

            “It’s storming out.” Philip mumbled.

            “I can hear that.” She replied and yawned. “Just go back to sleep.”

            “I can’t…I’m sort of…”

            Theo opened her eyes and saw her fiancee looked terrified. “Philip, are you scared of thunderstorms?” She asked.

            “What? No…” He laughed weakly but his act was broken when a loud bought of thunder nearly shook the apartment building. He jumped and quickly threw the covers over his face in instinct.

            Theo tried to hide her giggle. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t embarrass him. “Oh it’s alright, babe.” She said softly. She held the covers up to find him.

            Philip’s whole face was bright red. “Why do thunderstorms even exist?” He grumbled. “They’re unnecessary.”

            “It’s when hot air and cold air…”

            “I know how they’re created I just want to know _why_.” Philip grumbled.

            “I don’t know, babe, just please…it’s so late.” Theo complained and rubbed her eyes.

            “You know our kid is going to wake us up in the middle of the night too, right?” Philip replied. “We should at least get used to it.”

            “Yes, our baby will but he or she is still months away from being born. And, furthermore, our child will get over it and sleep through the night. Meanwhile, I have a future husband who is twenty-four years old and terrified of light and sounds.”

            “But…” Philip looked aghast at Theo’s reaction. “It’s not _just_ light and sounds!” He protested. “It’s very annoying light and very loud sounds!”

            “I can only hope you don’t pass on your astraphobia in our child.” Theo sighed and rested back in the pillows.

            “My what?” Philip looked at her in confusion.

            “It’s the fear of thunderstorms.” Theo answered. “And hopefully it’s not genetic.”

            “I think you’re mistaken, Doctor Burr, phobias are _irrational_ fears, fear of some natural force that can kill you is extremely rational.” Philip retorted stubbornly.

            “Philip, you are more likely to be hit by a car than hit by lightning so why are you so comfortable driving?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him. He opened his mouth to argue but couldn’t find any logic in his middle of the night functioning brain. “Exactly, now…” She made a confused face out of nowhere.

            “What?” Philip looked a bit puzzled too.

            “I dunno I just…” Theo put a hand to the lower right side of her abdomen. “It just kind of felt like…butterflies or something.” She pressed her palm into her stomach and her brown eyes widened.

            “What?” He asked again a bit more concerned. “Is it the baby? Is something wrong?”

            Theo nodded and grabbed his hand forcefully to press it to the spot. “I think I have to talk…I read somewhere that they can respond to voices.”

            “The baby? How is that…whoa…” Philip’s jaw fell open when he felt the tiny but strong kick against Theo’s skin. It was one of the first times he was really able to connect with the idea that he would be holding his child in a few months. He would be responsible for loving and nurturing a life. It was horrifyingly exhilarating. Philip pressed his ear to Theo’s stomach. “Do you like listening to mom and I?” He whispered softly. “Did we wake you up? Sorry, kid, but you’re going to do the same to us so consider us even. You’ve got a strong kick; maybe you’ll play sports. I still think you’re going to be some sort of artistic genius though. You’ve got a good pick of the gene pool, a Hamilton-Burr.”

            Theo watched as he silently talked to the baby like he or she was already born. She gently ran her fingers through his curls and would sometimes input with her own comment to their child. The thunderstorm continued to wreck havoc outside, but Theo and Philip were so content in their own bubble of peace that neither of them seemed to notice.


	20. Chapter 20

            Angie was Theo’s maid of honor and was in charge of keeping Theo occupied while Philip went out for his bachelor party the night before the wedding. She gently put Theo’s curlers in for the next morning and chatted to her about the various Harvard boys she was gaining the attention of.

            “Michael’s smart but I’m worried that he puts too much of his time into studying. I mean there are times when I need his attention and he’s off at the library. I mean c’mon, I must be more exciting than some biology book. You want to learn biology, learn with me, I’m a perfect female specimen. Ian’s on the crew team so you better believe he’s got ah-mazing abs. But I don’t know if he keeps up with that off-season, I guess we’ll have to see. Oh and of course there’s Harry, he’s such a sweetheart a real gentleman. He always wants to take me out to dinner and brings flowers…”

            Theo tried to listen to her sister-in-law whom she loved dearly but she still couldn’t stop thinking about her absent father. Every text and phone call had gone unanswered. No matter how many she sent or how emotional she got over the voicemails. She sent multiple invitations just in case his got lost in the mail, even though deep down she knew he was just setting them aside. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and started to cry.

            Angie noticed almost immediately. “Theo?” She finished curling a lock of hair and moved so she was kneeling in front of her. “Why are you crying?” She asked.

            “I’m not…keep talking about Harry…he sounds nice.” Theo waved her away and used the hem of her bathrobe sleeve to wipe her eyes.

            “No, Philip will kill me if he finds out you were crying on your wedding night and I didn’t do anything to help.” Angie stood up and got her a box of tissues. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

            “I just…I want my father to be there.” Theo hiccupped and took a few tissues from the box. “It’s not going to be the perfect wedding unless he’s there. And I know that sounds selfish but…”

            “No it doesn’t, it’s perfectly normal. I’d want my dad at my wedding.” Angie said and gently moved a few pieces of Theo’s hair away from her face. “But you never know, maybe he’ll show up…there’s still time.”

            “My dad is the most stubborn person alive, I doubt it.” Theo laughed bitterly. “I just need to accept that.”

            Angie bit her lip sadly. “I wish I could do something…”  

            “You’re doing more than enough.” Theo assured her. “You’re being a perfect sister just by listening.”

            Angie smiled and hugged her close. “You are too. I promise everything will be okay. Your dad will come around.”

 

 

            Theo woke up the next morning at the Hamiltons’. She felt like she was in a fog, everything was moving so quickly around her but she seemed to be moving in slow motion. Angie had set her alarm for later in the morning so the bride could have a well-rested night. It was also to make sure Philip was out of the house and on his way to the church without seeing her in her dress.

            The bridesmaids, friends of Philip and Theo, were all excited and fluttering around in their chiffon dresses. Theo wanted to be at their level of anticipation, she was happy, of course. She was marrying the man she loved. But she just wanted to stand up and make it all stop. She still couldn’t picture herself walking down the aisle and it was just hours away. If her father wasn’t in the picture, there wasn’t a picture at all.

            Theo sat on the edge of Angie’s bed, staring at herself in the mirror. The girls passed around getting their heels on and their makeup finished. Theo was still in a bathrobe, her hair still piled up in curlers on her head.

            Eliza walked in, wearing a blue wrap dress that complimented her in every way. “Alright ladies, time to go downstairs.” She said. Angie went to protest but her mother nodded towards the door. They all filed out and Eliza shut the door, making the room suddenly very quiet.

            “I was just about to get in my dress.” Theo stood up trying to shake herself out of the mist she was in. “It won’t take long.”

            “I’m not here to rush you, don’t worry.” Eliza said and put a hand on her daughter-in-law’s shoulder to sit her back down. “I’ll help you with your hair first.” She knelt behind Theo on the bed and started to gently pull out the curlers. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

            “Nervous…happy…sad.” Theo admitted. She trusted Eliza more than a lot of people in her life. “I don’t really know how to feel.”

            “I understand,” Eliza said softly. Her fingers worked swiftly to take out the curlers and set them aside in a pile on the comforter of the bed. “Angelica, my sister, eloped with her husband in London. I was there for the wedding, but our father was not. He didn’t approve of John. That was a while ago, though; my father has long since accepted him into the family. I can’t say what Aaron is thinking for sure. However, I know for a fact that he loves you very much. I’m sure he’s just scared he’s losing his only daughter. But I know that you won’t abandon him and he won’t abandon you.”

            “Then why won’t he come to the wedding?” Theo asked quietly. “It feels like he’s abandoning me in one of my best days.”

            “I know it may feel that way.” Eliza sighed. “I guess I can only say it’s going to get better. I know that doesn’t help much.” She gathered up the curlers and set them side on Angie’s desk. She went to take Theo’s dress out of the bag and off the hanger. “All I know for sure is that you’re going to look beautiful.” She smiled.

            Theo stood up and hugged Eliza tightly. “Thank you so much.” She said. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

            Eliza smiled and hugged her back. “I think you would do just fine, but I’m glad to help.”

 

 

            Since Aaron didn’t show up at the pictures for Theo before the wedding, everyone assumed the worst. While Eliza and the Hamilton kids were taking pictures together, Alexander went to talk to his daughter-in-law.

            “Theo…” She looked up and smiled slightly. “I uh…I don’t want to take any authority away from your father but if he doesn’t show up, I would be honored to walk you down the aisle.” Alexander said with a twinge of awkwardness. He wasn't sure how to approach her about the subject. But Eliza suggested it and he agreed that they needed to be there for her. 

           “Oh…” Theo felt tears in her eyes but she’d promised Angie, her makeup artist, that she would try her best not to cry. It was asking a lot of the pregnant woman. “Thank you so much…I-I would like that.”

            Alexander nodded. “It’s the least I can do. I know Aaron and I haven’t made this relationship easy for you and Philip but…I think this might be a new chapter. Your father will come around; I know he loves you more than anything.”

            “Thank you.” Theo hugged her father-in-law.

            Eliza walked over and smiled when she saw them. “Theo, Alex, it’s time to get ready.” She said gently and started to walk up the stairs into the church.

            Theo nodded and drew away from Alexander. He held out an arm and helped her up the stairs, making sure she didn’t trip on her dress.

            “Wait!” Angie ran up in her tall heels to grab Theo’s train. “Dammit, dad, you can’t let this drag! You’re going to get it all dirty!”

            “Sorry, sorry!” Alexander looked alarmed at his daughter’s language but chuckled anyways.

            Theo giggled and looked over her shoulder to give her maid of honor a smile.

 

            A few moments passed as her bridesmaids walked down the aisle. Theo was feeling a little hopeless and resigning her to the fact that she wouldn’t have her father by her side. Then the door opened behind her and Alexander.

            “Hamilton, what are you doing?” Aaron asked as he walked into the room behind the church. “I’m sure that’s not your job. I know you like taking over positions, but you’re not taking this one.”

            Alexander smiled in relief when he saw Aaron. It was honestly the first time he was glad to see him. “Hey, I was just filling in for the time being, you were late.”

            “I apologize for that, but I’ll take it from here.” Aaron said.

            “Please do.” Alexander said and let Aaron take her daughter by the arm. He opened the doors and hurried down the aisle to where Eliza was sitting.

            Eliza looked stunned. “What are you doing here? I told you to walk with her…”

            “I was relieved of my duties.” Alexander shrugged and sat down trying not to draw too much attention to himself. 

            “You…what?” Eliza turned around in her seat. “He showed up?” She whispered.

            “Sh!” Angie hushed her parents from the altar as the piano march began to play.


	21. Chapter 21

            Philip was given the best shock of his life; comparable only to being told he would be a father soon. He thought that everyone who used the term ‘glowing’ to describe a person was being overly romantic and poetic. Even as a poet, he thought it was laughable. But now, seeing Theo, he knew he was wrong. She was glowing. He was unsure if he had ever seen someone look so beautiful or so happy.

            Theo’s anxiety for that moment was gone. Everything seemed absolutely perfect. She was walking down the aisle, with her father, she was marrying her best friend, and there was nothing that could bring her down. Once they reached the altar, Aaron kissed Theo’s cheek and let her arm slip from around his. She smiled reassuringly and gently took Philip’s waiting hand.

            Aaron went to sit down next to Alexander who gave him a smile and a pat on the back. Aaron just nodded and realized how short time seemed. He thought for sure he had just married Theodosia the other day. Now she was gone and he was watching their daughter look the happiest he’d seen her in a very long time. She hadn’t smiled like that since her mother passed away. Aaron couldn’t believe he almost purposefully missed seeing his daughter look so excited and content.

 

            There was no question Philip would write his own vows. But when Theo brought out her own little notecard, everyone knew the tissues would have to come out.

            “Theo…I’ve written so many poems for you over the last four years. And some of them were probably super cheesy and dumb but…every word was the truth and every word came from the love I feel for you. Trust me when I say there is nothing else in the world I’d rather be right now. I don’t want to be on top of the Eiffel Tower, I don’t want to be famous for my writing, I don’t want to be rich, and I sure as hell don’t want to be in any fancy penthouse. You’re the most meaningful part of my life and if you’re not by my side then words and the world is meaningless. I love you and if you need me to say it a hundred times a day, I will. Because you deserve to feel loved.” Philip folded up the piece of paper he was reading off of and tucked it away in his jacket pocket. He smiled at Theo who was on the verge of tears.

            “No fair, I should’ve gone first so I didn’t have to follow that.” Theo whispered teasingly to him.

            Philip laughed and kissed her hand. “I love you so much.”

            Theo took a shaky breath and felt like the words she’d written down wouldn’t come out right. “Philip, I-I’m not one for words. I usually leave that to you because you can articulate exactly how you feel. And knowing how you feel for me is the best thing I could ever experience.” She cleared her throat and tried to stop crying. “I don’t…I don’t know what the future holds f-for us but it doesn’t matter. With you by my side, I…I feel safe, I feel loved…I feel like I can accomplish everything.” A tear landed on her notes and she rolled her eyes in embarrassment. “I used to think people in love were foolish. I fel-felt like I would rather be…be numb after I lost my mom. B-But loving you and being loved by you…” Theo couldn’t stop the stream of tears running down her cheeks. She looked up when she felt Philip’s thumb brush some of them away. “Philip…I’d rather feel every emotion with you than feel numb.” She dropped her paper and hugged him tightly.

            Philip hugged her back. “It’s okay…I love you.” He whispered soothingly. “I love you…”

 

            After the formal ‘I dos’, ring exchanges, and the kiss that was far too short in Theo’s eyes, the couple walked down the aisle together and out to the limo waiting. There were a few photographers from newspapers out and Theo prayed her eyes weren’t swollen and red. She wanted to look happy, not like she was crying the whole time.

            Philip helped Theo into the limo, trying not to catch the dress in the door. Once, they were settled in and on their way to the reception, Theo leaned in for a longer, more suitable kiss.

            Philip obliged and held her close. After a few moments, he pulled away to look at her. He ran his thumb over her cheek just like he had in the church. “Sorry I made you cry…that wasn’t what I was aiming for.” He shrugged sheepishly.

            “Did you even listen to me?” Theo raised an eyebrow. “I’d rather cry at my wedding because you’re such a lover boy than not feel anything.” She told him honestly.

            Philip smiled and took a deep breath. “It’s weird…but being there in the church reminded me when we got stuck in the rain.”

            “I remember that.” Theo nodded. “We just started dating.”

            “Right…and I was so worried that the date was ruined. I figured you wouldn’t want to go out again because it seemed like I had bad luck or something.” He admitted shyly.

            “We had a great time though.” Theo said. “You actually came to see the Hunger Games with me.”

            “I know…I know, and I got to watch you swoon over Liam Hemsworth.” Philip rolled his eyes playfully. “I was just so nervous.” He shrugged. “I was always nervous back then.”

            “Why?” Theo asked curiously.

            “Because you were the girl of my dreams and…I dunno I guess everything seemed so fragile. I thought it was my last chance because you said no the first time.”

            “Hm…but now we’re married. So you don’t have to worry about that.” Theo smiled warmly and took her hands in his.

            “Good…then I can tell you about my secret addiction.” Philip said sounding extremely serious.

            Theo’s smile faded a bit. “You’re secret addiction?”

            “Yeah…unfortunately…I’m addicted to Liam Hemsworth.” Philip sighed and glanced up at her with a mischievous look in his eyes.

            Theo giggled and smacked him playfully. “You’re horrible, I thought you were actually going to lay some bombshell on me.” She accused.

            “It’s serious! Ever since we saw Hunger Games together I just…I can’t get over those dreamy eyes…” Philip pretended to faint into her arms. He looked up and winked at her.

            “I can’t believe I just married you.” Theo teased and leaned down to kiss him. “I’m glad Angie’s going to give a speech, you deserve to be a little embarrassed.”

            Philip grimaced. “She wouldn’t even let me proof read it.” He grumbled. “I’m terrified...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angie's speech is next I promise. And trust me she'll be ruthless and sweet at the same time. Thanks for all the support, 200 hearts is insane!


	22. Chapter 22

            “Philip Hamilton is the worst.”

            Two seconds into Angie’s speech and the poor groom already had his head buried in his hands.

            “He sings loudly in the car…out of key, he’ll eat your leftovers, he doesn’t share French fries, and he’ll laugh at the dumbest things.” Angie smirked. “But you couldn’t ask for a better brother. He’s looked after my siblings and I our whole lives, he cares for his family, and I know he cares for Theo. Poor Theo, she has to read every single poem he writes for her. Oh well, she’s the one who married him, that’s what she signed up for.”

            Theo couldn’t help but giggle and wrapped an arm around her husband. Philip just grumbled and looked up at his sister.

            “Anyways, Theo told me she found out Philip’s weak spot, so I don’t have to embarrass him in public about that. _But_ since I feel I need to embarrass him one way or another, I’ll do that.” Angie affirmed. “I’m two years younger than Philip, so I’ve been watching him like a hawk for pretty much his whole life. So I’ve seen him do stupid things. For example, when Philip was five, he got stuck in the washer machine.”

            At a nearby table, Eliza and Alexander burst out laughing. Of course they remembered the day they found Philip screaming in the washer machine. It took an hour and two firefighters to get the traumatized childfree. It wasn’t funny to the parents then, Alexander thought it was a little funny but he would never tell his wife. But now, sitting at their twenty-four year old’s wedding, the distant memory was hilarious.

            “The fact that I was left alone long enough to get stuck is probably child abuse.” Philip spoke up bitterly.

            “Mhm, but you survived.” Angie hushed him. “Moving on, when he was ten, Philip was horrified to find out that the tooth fairy was actually our dad. Philip got his first girlfriend when he was eleven, but shortly broke up with her and informed me that girls were gross. And last but not least, when Philip was sixteen, he had a streak of sleepwalking. One night, he walked into my room and told me he was getting an Oscar for his hair. Philip, I love you, you stupid dork.” Angie smiled and went to hug her brother.

            Philip hugged his sister. “Just wait until you get married.” He told her.

            “Bring it on.” She taunted.

 

            Theo didn’t get a chance to talk to her father in the church. So, the first time they talked was during their dance. Both Theo and Aaron both got the same nerve symptoms. Their stomachs turned into a twister and both got shaky hands.

            Theo smiled to her father and they walked onto the dance floor. He gently rested one hand on her waist and took her other hand in his.

            “You couldn’t have given me a few years to work on my dance moves?” Aaron teased softly as the music started.

            “Please, I bet you and mom had some elaborate dance at your wedding.” Theo replied and smiled.

            Aaron smiled and shook his head. “You look just as beautiful as she did on our wedding day.” He said. He thought for a moment, all the times he realized Theodosia would be angry with him. Angry that he had yelled at his daughter, angry that he hadn’t accepted the pregnancy, angry that he didn’t reply to any of Theo’s messages. Aaron looked down, not wanting to look too sad in front of the cameras. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”

            “Don’t apologize, I just am thankful that you’re here.” Theo admitted.

            “I treated you poorly. I didn’t want to cause you stress but I did.” Aaron sighed. “That’s not good for the baby, that was selfish of me.”

            “The baby’s fine, you don’t have to worry. I have some ultrasounds…if you’d like to see them.” She answered shyly.

            “Of course, do you know what gender?” Aaron asked curiously.

            “No, Philip and I decided to be surprised.” She shrugged. “We’re both really excited though, we finished painting the nursery.”

            “That’s right, you got a new place. Is everything okay? No troubles right?” Her father felt a little bad that he hadn’t been there in the initial process, but now he knew that it was his duty to make sure she would be okay.

            “Everything’s perfect.” Theo promised him. “And I know you’re worried about me going to graduate school and I talked to my advisor…”

            “No…” Aaron shook his head slightly. “Don’t worry about what I think you should do. Theo…I’ve been terrified that I’m not going to be a good enough father for you. And I understand that I pushed you to be the best in your class and to be perfect…”

            “Dad, it’s okay.” Theo said softly. “You weren’t a perfect dad but no one is. You were always there for me and you cared for me.” The song ended and she hugged him tightly. “I love you.”

            Aaron hugged her back. “I love you too.” He pulled back to see Philip was waiting nearby patiently.

            “Can I steal her for a dance?” Philip smiled shyly.

            “Of course.” Aaron nodded and reached out to shake his son-in-law’s hand. “It’s nice to see you, Philip. I heard you’re happy with the new apartment.”

            “We are, sir, we’re almost done with getting all the rooms settled.” He glanced over at Theo and looked a little proud that Aaron was being approving.

            “Just waiting for the little one.” Theo added softly.

            “Yep, we’re pretty excited.” Phillip looked so happy and full of love. “Ready to be a grandfather?” He tried weakly but started to regret it when Aaron took a deep breath.

            “Even though I think I’m too young to be a grandfather, yes.” He nodded. “I’m very excited, probably not as excited as your mother is though.”

            “She’s been knitting up a storm.” Theo giggled. “We won’t need to buy anything for the baby.”

            “Well, I did have a gift for you anyways.” Aaron said. “If that’s alright. It’s not much, but…”

            “You didn’t need to get anything…”

            “I didn’t buy it, don’t worry. But your mother kept a quilt she had when you were born.” He explained. “It’s still in good condition and I didn’t think you wanted my to give it away.” He shrugged.

            Theo smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up. “I remember that…” She said quietly. “I’d love it…it’d be perfect.” She bit her lip and looked at Philip joyfully.

            “Thank you, Mr. Burr.” Philip said gratefully.

            “Philip, please you don’t need to call me that.” Aaron shook his head. “You’re my son-in-law now, not my daughter’s new boyfriend.”

            He grinned and nodded. “Alright, thank you, Aaron.”

            “It’s Burr!” Lafayette cried when he saw him. “Monsieur, where have you been?” He interrupted the conversation and pulled Aaron away from the dance floor.

            Theo smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck. Philip hugged her close and exhaled in relief. “He let me call him Aaron…”

            “You’ve been accepted for life, I think.” Theo giggled and closed her eyes, burying her face in his shoulder. “I love you so much…”

            “I love you too.” Philip murmured. “Now it’s just a waiting game, who’s going to win the baby lottery pool?”

            “You know Angie is.” Theo told him. “She’s going to win five hundred dollars and tell our child when he or she gets older that she schooled all of us.”

            “I’m willing to take that chance. I have fatherly intuitions, I’m going to win.” Philip said firmly.

            “Says the man who secretly wants an Oscar for his hair.” Theo smirked and looked up at him.

            “Hey, you promised that you wouldn’t tease me. It’s not fair you were an only child.” Philip pouted. “I’m going to start to write my speech for her wedding.” He grumbled. “Just you wait.”

            Theo giggled and kissed him softly. She was so happy and felt a small flutter of movement from the baby. It seemed to be infectious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to write and came out super awkward and just...ugh. I'm going back to pregnancy fluff, I'm done with the wedding stuff.


	23. Chapter 23

            The honeymoon period for Theo and Philip lasted a lot longer than anyone expected. Everyone was a little worried that they would be anxious because of the pregnancy.

            But Theo was happy because she was comfortable with where she was. She was ready for the baby, or at least she thought she was, was a married woman, and felt confident she would get her degree.

            Christmas neared and Theo was due any day. That put Philip on edge, thinking that every movement she made meant that she was going into labor. She once dropped the shampoo bottle in the shower and Philip burst in thinking she had fallen.

            As much as she admired his Prince Charming persona, she still vented to her sister-in-law about every time Philip assumed the baby was coming.

 

            Theo Burr-Hamilton is online

            Angie Hamilton: Hey you changed your name!

            Angie Hamilton: Keeping your last name still, I like it.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: I figured it would freak out a few of my dad’s friends. Besides, I’ll always be a Burr no matter what.

            Angie Hamilton: I get it; I think I’ll always be a Hamilton too.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: You’ll all still be Hamiltons. Speaking of the H-Squad, how is everyone? I haven’t been able to talk to your mom recently.

            Angie Hamilton: Good, AJ’s back from UCLA for vacation, James is due back from Duke tomorrow. The other kids are happy there’s so much snow out. JC built this huge fort for Will and Liza, they were playing outside until the sun set. It was cute.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: Aw, you’ll have to send me pictures if you have any

            Angie Hamilton: My mom took some, I’ll have her send them to you. Anyways, how’s our Paranoid Philip?

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: He’s starting to wake up if I get up in the middle of the night. I guess he’s scared that I’m sleepwalking and I’m going to do something crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever sleepwalked in my life but…you know him.

            Angie Hamilton: Yeah I sort of had a feeling he’d get like this. He was super protective over our brothers and sister, especially when he got older. At least he’s not a deadbeat.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: I know, I couldn’t ask for a better man.

            Angie Hamilton: Barf. I’ll pretend like you didn’t just sound like a rom-com.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: Oh don’t act like you’re not in love either…

            Angie Hamilton: WHAT? WHO TOLD YOU?

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: Let’s just say I know someone who knows someone who happens to be your roommate. That’s beside the point, what matters is I’m happy for you!

            Angie Hamilton: Don’t tell anyone, not even Philip. If my dad finds out who I’m dating he’ll pull me out of Harvard and make me stay home for the rest of my life.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: Oh Ange, it’s not that bad. He got over the fact that I was Aaron’s daughter right?

            Angie Hamilton: Yeah but not right away, and my dad hates…well you know who.    

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: I know, but he wants you to be happy, and you are right?

            Angie Hamilton: Of course…I’m just not sure if I’m going to tell him.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: You’ll tell him when you’re comfortable. You don’t have to push it.

            Theo Burr-Hamilton: I should go, Philip just brought home take-out. Give your family my love, can’t wait for Christmas!

            Angie Hamilton: I will, see you then!

 

           After eating dinner together, Philip and Theo retired to the couch. She curled up in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt so cozy in her oversized sweater and from her husband’s natural warmth. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. “Any day now.” She whispered when she felt Philip rest a hand on her stomach.

            “It’s unbearable, I just want to meet the kid.” Philip groaned. “I have so much I need to tell him or her.”

            Theo giggled softly. “So many poems…”

            “You should see the stack I have already. This baby is going to get sick of my voice.”

            “No one could get sick of you.” Theo opened her eyes and kissed his cheek. “I stuck around, didn’t I?”

            “Yeah, because I knocked you up.” Philip teased.

            “Nu-uh!” Theo smacked him lightly. “I could’ve been a single mother if I very well wanted to be.” She said confidently.

            “Let’s see if you say that after week one of no sleep.” Philip joked and cuddled her close. “I’m just kidding, you’re going to be the perfect mother.”

            Theo’s heart raced and she bit her lip. It seemed like she would always get butterflies when he sweet-talked her. She could blame it on the honeymoon phase but honestly she could picture growing old with him. She could see herself by Philip’s side until the day she died…or he died. She shivered slightly and shook her head. He was twenty-four, she had no reason to worry about losing him. They had a long, adventure-filled life waiting for them.

 

 

            “You’re quiet tonight.” Philip noted as he drove to his parents house. He glanced over to his wife.

            “I’m fine…” Theo shrugged and brushed her hair behind her ear.

            “No you’re not, tell me what’s wrong.” He coaxed softly and reached over to rest a hand on her knee.

            “I was just hoping the baby would be born by now.” Theo admitted quietly. “I dunno, it’s dumb.”

            “It’s not dumb, I get it.” Philip responded. “I’m anxious to just have our family be complete.” He said gently. “But we’re going to be parents very soon.”

            Theo smiled and looked up at him. She gently put his hand over his. “Okay…I’ll be patient.”

           

            When Philip and Theo walked into the Hamilton’s house, they were bombarded with hugs and kisses. Liza ran up and pushed through the crowd of family to press hand to Theo’s stomach.

            “Hi.” Liza whispered to the baby. “Are you going to be born soon?”

            Theo smiled and tousled Liza’s hair. “Very soon.” She promised.

            Philip chuckled and reached down to pick his youngest sister up. “Are you still set on the name Princess Rainbow?” He asked as they all walked into the living room. He sat down with Liza on his lap.

            “Yes!” Liza smiled. “I think it’s the perfect name.”

            “I agree.” Theo giggled and sat down next to Angie and her father on the couch. She leaned against Aaron as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

            Alexander sat in his usual armchair and held his arms out for Eliza to sit with him. She kissed his cheek and kicked her feet up and over the sides of the chair.

            Peggy walked in from the kitchen and handed Aaron a drink. She leaned over the couch and reached for her niece’s wrist. “Where did you get this?” She examined the gold charm bracelet that she was wearing.

            Angie’s face went bright red. “Oh uh…it was a present from a friend.”

            “A friend?” Angelica looked over too. “That looks like more than a friend present.” She said slyly.

            Angie didn’t know what to say, she just kept blushing and ducking her head. Eliza looked curious. “Are you dating someone?” She asked.

            “Yeah….” Angie finally got out and pinched her eyes close in embarrassment. “It’s nothing serious…”

            “Angie, why didn’t you tell us?” Philip asked.

            “Because I’m an adult.” She rolled her eyes and looked to her sister-in-law for help.

            “Who are you dating?” Alexander asked nosily. “Is it someone we know?”

            “I go to school in Boston…” Angie avoided his question.

            Theo tried to think of how to save her when she noticed a wet feeling out of nowhere. “Um…Philip…”

            Her husband looked confused. “Yeah?”

            “Pretty sure my water just broke.”


	24. Chapter 24

            Philip blinked. “Um…sorry, what?” He prayed that he hadn’t heard her right.

            Theo stood up and nodded. “Yep…sorry Eliza.” She winced when she saw the stain on the couch.

            Everyone in the room froze for a moment. “That’s alright…” Eliza said not really connecting what was happening.

            “Philip, we need to go to the apartment to get my bag.” Theo grabbed her purse, not moving too quickly or in a panicked manner.

            “Um…okay…” Philip stood up robotically and blinked a few more times. “So you’re going into labor?”

            “Yes, we need to go to the hospital.”

            That’s when everyone lost their shit and Philip was the loudest. “Angie, call 911, mom, help Theo, Dad…just…I don’t know!”

            Angie grabbed the phone to call and Aaron, Eliza, Peggy, and Angelica, all went to help Theo sit back down. Theo looked confused and held up a hand. “Hey! It’s alright…I’m not giving birth right now.” She said making everyone stop. “I just need to go home to get my bag and then we’ll go to the hospital. Everyone can stay here, calm down, and then come visit us in a few hours. The baby won’t be born for a while.”

            Philip was still freaking out. “Theo, what if…”

            “Everyone just needs to stay calm.” She interrupted him. “Let’s go get my bag.” She said gently and started walking towards the door. “Sorry, we cut the party a little short.” She apologized. “We’ll see you guys at the hospital later, bye.”

            Aaron watched them leave and felt a sense of dread. He was happy, but he was scared something was going to happen, something they couldn’t prevent.

 

            Philip felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. They arrived at the hospital at ten p.m. Theo was making light conversation and jokes the entire time they drove from the apartment to the hospital. Philip, on the other hand, was doing his best not to hyperventilate. He was standing at the foot of the hospital bed where his wife was lying. A nurse was checking Theo’s blood pressure and had made Philip stand to the side.

            Theo watched as he paced and chewed on his nails. “Philip, calm down.” She soothed. She found it odd how their roles probably should have been reversed. She felt at ease even knowing she was in labor. But Philip had been nothing but a nervous wreck.

            “I can’t…I…I’m scared.” He admitted.

            “It’s okay.” Theo reached out to him with her free arm. Philip went over to kneel next to the bed and take her hand in his. “I’m a little scared too. It’s…something we’ve never faced before. But we have each other, our parents and Angie said she would be happy to babysit when she’s home. I’m sure we’ll be just fine with all the help we have.”

            Her words calmed him down a bit and Philip felt like he could breathe easily. “I thought I couldn’t wait any longer but now…now it feels all so sudden. I feel like I need more time but then I realize anytime is as good as now. So…I guess I just have to face the challenge now.”

            Theo smiled. “Well, that’s good to hear. I was hoping you weren’t going to get up and walk out on me and the baby.”

            “Me?” Philip looked offended. “I’d never.” He returned the smile and then kissed the top of her hand. “No one could pull me away from you.”

            “Come sit with me, it’s going to take a while until this kid comes,” Theo said and patted the hospital bed beside her.

 

            Aaron and the Hamilton’s had arrived at the hospital around the same time after both families regrouped and made a trip to the gift shop. Both him and Alexander were fully prepared to be grandfathers despite the fact that the child would be tying the Hamilton and Burr families together for good. But maybe it was a good thing, like Eliza kept insisting.

            “Alexander.”

            “Aaron Burr…sir”

            Both tried to keep their dignity about them but the senator and the secretary of treasury were carrying a heap of presents for Theo, Philip, and the baby and frankly, they looked a little funny. Aaron had a giant bouquet of flowers, two wrapped presents, and a stuffed animal. Alexander carried a large teddy bear, a bunch of balloons, and a stack of cards the kids had made to welcome the new baby.

            “I’ll check us in,” Eliza said and went to the front desk of the maternity ward. She couldn’t help but laugh to herself at how the two men looked carrying the presents.

           

            Philip came out to the waiting room when he heard his family had arrived. He looked a little frazzled and being away from Theo didn’t help. He felt like if he left her side something terrible would happen. “Her contractions are twenty minutes apart.” He reported.

            “Philip darling, you need to calm down.” Eliza stood up and smoothed his curls down. “You can’t stress Theo out.”

            “She’s perfectly calm, I’m the only one out of the two of us who’s freaking out!” Philip exclaimed. “She’s on her Instagram like nothing’s happening. What if something happens?”

            “Well, then take a page from her book and breathe," Eliza instructed. “She still has time before the baby comes and I promise nothing is going to happen.”

            “I need to go check on her, I’ll be right back,” Philip said and rushed back to the hospital room.

            Aaron looked over at Eliza. “You two raised him well. I shouldn’t have doubted that he would take care of her.”

            “It’s the personality of an older brother,” Eliza said and sat back down to continue knitting one more last minute pair of booties for the baby. “He was only two when Angie was born but was so confident in his ability to be an older brother. When James was born, I remember waking up in the hospital room and seeing him talking to Angie in her bassinette. He was telling her how he would keep him safe, and he would be the best older brother. I know he and Theo will be the perfect parents.”

 

            Around three in the morning, Theo’s contractions got closer and more painful. She did her best to keep her cool though because Philip hadn’t gotten any better. She’d gotten him to close his eyes for a little while, as long as she promised to wake him up immediately if something happened. Theo breathed evenly through her nose then exhaling through her mouth. She rested a hand on her stomach as she felt another contraction. “Ouch.” She whispered. “Easy there, little one.” She gently ran her fingers up and down the curve of her stomach as if to soothe the baby and herself. She kept breathing as a nurse came in to check her progress.

            “Alright, Mrs. Hamilton, I think you’re ready. I’ll get the doctor.” She said and left the room.

            Theo’s heart began to race. “Philip…” She called to where he was asleep in a chair.

            Without fail, her husband jolted awake. “What? Something happened?” He stood up unsteadily.

            “They’re going to start…you know…I guess delivering the baby.” Theo said breathlessly.

            “Really?” Philip’s eyes widened. “Okay…okay, so what do I do? Do you want me here?”

            “Of course, I need you.” Theo’s voice dropped all measures of calmness. She reached out for his hand.

            He walked over and took it in both of his hands. He kissed her knuckles and took a deep breath. “We’re together in this, you’re not alone.”

 

            Theo wasn’t calm anymore, she was full-on panicking. That didn’t help Philip who was halfway to fainting. He hadn’t realized how strong she was until she was clawing at his arm, telling him how much pain she was in. He tried to do his best to assure her that she was doing great, to breathe, and all the things he’d been told to by several blogs online. But Theo wasn’t hearing any of it.

            “ _You_ breathe, _you_ calm down!” She snapped at him. “Stop telling me what to do while I’m being ripped open by a watermelon!”

            It would’ve been funny to Philip in any other situation. But he was sure that if he laughed he wouldn’t live to see his child.

            “We’re never having sex again!” Theo yelled at him. “You’ve lost that privilege for knocking me up, you stupid…”

            Philip hoped she was kidding but at the same time that was the last thing he was thinking of as she cried out in pain.

            “Have a natural birth they said, it’s _so_ magical they said, you don’t _need_ drugs they said, fuck it, this was a terrible idea!” Theo sobbed.

            “I know…”

            “YOU KNOW?” Theo felt like tearing him apart even through all the pain she was in. “You think you KNOW?”

            Philip winced. “I love you…”

            “Oh that’s good to hear while I’m…Christ!” Theo gripped onto his hand as she gave one last push.

            Philip felt like he hadn’t heard anything more beautiful than when he finally heard his baby cry. It was like everything they’d been waiting for was actually real. It wasn’t just a hope anymore it was a reality.

            Theo gasped and fell back into the pillows. “Is the baby here?” She asked not really sure. She felt so dazed and confused from the amount of exertion.

            “Yeah…yeah Theo you did it.” Philip said and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “We’re parents now.” He whispered.

            Theo reached up to cling to him. “We’re parents…”

 

            When the nurse came back she held a pink bundle. “Here’s your little girl.” She said and set the baby in Theo’s arms.

            She gasped and started to cry when she first saw her face. “A girl…Philip, look.” She held the newborn close to her chest and couldn’t take her eyes off her daughter.

            Philip’s mouth opened slightly but he wasn’t sure what to say. There was his daughter…their daughter. She was a healthy size, her skin was a beautiful cinnamon color and tufts of black hair curled out from under the little pink hat they had put on her head. She wasn’t crying, instead, she had a content look on her face, her eyes shut, and her lips parted slightly. It was like she knew she was in good hands with her parents and there was nothing to worry about.

            “I suppose we need to name her now that she’s finally here,” Philip said softly.

            “I want to name her Beth,” Theo said her eyes still locked on the baby. She didn’t want to miss one second of her daughter’s life. “After your mother.”

            “Really?” Philip asked. “Wow…yeah I’m sure mom would love that. Beth…I like it.” He decided. “We should probably honor your father…”

            “No.” Theo shook her head. “Unless we have twins we’re not naming our children after either of our fathers.”

            “Why…oh because…”

            “Exactly. Because one would think we’re favoring the other. If we have twins, that’s no problem.”

            Philip smiled. “You’re so smart.” He kissed her forehead. “Now…can I hold her?” He asked softly.

            “Of course.” Theo looked up at him finally. “Sorry, I’m hogging her.” She giggled quietly. She felt like nothing in the world could make her feel bad in that moment now that she was in motherhood bliss.

            Philip gently took Beth from her arms. He sat down on the hospital bed next to Theo, resting against the pillows. Theo sat up so she could see. “She’s so much smaller than I imagined.” He said quietly.

            Theo reached over to find Beth’s hand under the swaddle. “Look at her fingernails!” She whispered.

            “They’re tiny!” Philip agreed in awe. They both took in every inch of Beth’s face. “She’s new to us but it’s like I’ve known her my whole life.” He said. “I’m going to protect you and give you the world.” He whispered to Beth. “I’ll fight for you, I’ll support you, and I’ll give you all of my time. You’re going to be so smart…you’ll be able to do anything.”

            Theo gently rested her cheek on Philip’s shoulder as she listened to him. Then they both gasped softly when Beth opened her eyes. They were a dark green mixed with hazel. “She’s so beautiful.” Theo felt herself choke up again.

            Philip smiled and kissed Theo’s temple. “You did perfectly…she’s perfect…our daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too confident in my abilities of writing chapters at 5 in the morning. So if you ever see a mistake, let me know. I'll never be offended, I'm always looking to improve my writing.  
> On a side note I've never been pregnant, never been in a delivery room, and know nothing about children in general. Creative license is used because nothing in this fic is legit


	25. Chapter 25

 

            Theo and Philip spent about an hour or two with their daughter before the rest of the family came in. “Knock-knock.” Eliza poked her head into the hospital room. “The grandparents are here! They finally let us in.”

            “Hey, c’mon in.” Philip said and stood up with Beth in his arms.

            Aaron and Alexander set their presents aside and both gave each other a side-glance. Both were thinking of how to hold their grandchild first to be the better grandfather. But, that debate didn’t last long because Eliza swooped in and picked up her first grandchild from Philip’s arms. “Oh my goodness.” She whispered and her eyes sparkled when she saw her. “She’s absolutely beautiful…”

            “We named her after you,” Philip told his mom.

            Eliza looked up from her granddaughter. “What? You did? After me?” She asked in surprise.

            “Beth Hamilton.” Theo smiled and nodded. “We thought it suited her the best, it's fit perfectly so far.” She shrugged.

            “Hey! I thought Alexandria was on the table?” Alexander looked betrayed by his son and daughter-in-law. “What gives?”

            “And what about Erin? That's such a nice name...I think we were purposefully skipped over, do you concur, Alexander?” Aaron crossed his arms over his chest and both of the new grandfathers looked at their children.

            “Oh I do, Burr, I sure do.” Alexander looked grumpy.

            “Oops.” Theo shrugged and smiled secretively at Philip. He gave her a small wink back and tried to look innocent at his father. 

            “Oh hush you two and just hold her,” Eliza said and handed the baby to Aaron to shut them both up.

            Alexander looked down at his granddaughter and instantly smiled. There was no way he could be mad when he saw her small face. “She is beautiful.” He agreed. "She looks like the both of you." 

            “Perfect,” Aaron added holding his granddaughter close. He felt overjoyed knowing there was this brand new life. “No matter what her name is.”

            Eliza kissed Philip’s cheek and hugged him close. “Isn’t it so exciting being parents? I’m so proud of you both, she's so perfect.” She leaned over to kiss Theo’s forehead and squeeze her gently.

            “It’s scary knowing I’m a father.” He admitted quietly. He was a little embarrassed to tell his mom and wife the truth. But he felt like he needed to tell them. “Knowing we have this life to be responsible for.”

            Theo bit her lip and nodded in agreement. She didn't think Philip was weak or too afraid. She understood his feelings completely. “It’s so scary…I mean what position _really_ prevents SIDs, what if she’s allergic to something and we don’t find out till it’s too late, and what if something…”

            Eliza rested a hand over Theo’s and Philip’s. “I know it’s scary. I wanted to bundle Philip up in bubble wrap when he was a baby and never bring him outside. I was so terrified something would happen to him. But you learn and take the little mistakes as lessons. Seven kids in and I feel confident enough to tell you both this. I can’t promise everything will go smoothly. But, you’ve made it this far.” She pointed out gently. “You’ve survived the first hour and nothing has happened. She’s safe, healthy, and happy. There’s not a safer place for her to be than with you two.”

            Theo swallowed and felt tears rise up in her throat. She knew she was just being extremely worked up from the events but everything Eliza was saying was making her cry. Eliza hugged her daughter-in-law close to comfort her.

            The emotional moment was interrupted with a bright ray of sunshine bursting into the room. “Where’s my niece?” Angie questioned as she rushed into the hospital room. She gasped when she saw the little pink bundle being passed from Aaron into father’s arms. “Gimme, gimme!” She reached out her hands.

            “No, wait your turn,” Alexander replied stubbornly and turned away from her so she couldn't get to Beth. “Grandparents get superiority over everyone, that's the first rule of a newborn.”

            “Well, I’m her _god_ mother,” Angie said proudly. "I think I get superiority, over you." She replied. 

            “Godmother?” Philip raised an eyebrow and looked down at his wife in surprise. "Did she name herself the godmother or do you have something to do with this?" He asked. 

            “Yeah…we all agreed on this,” Theo said casually with a shrug. “Weren’t you in that conversation?”

            “No, I wasn't…”

            “Oh…oops.” Theo giggled and winked at her sister. They both knew that Philip was _not_ a part of the conversation, just like he wasn’t a part of the conversation about being the maid of honor.

            “Hand the baby over, I have godmother rights.” Angie insisted.

            “Alright, alright,” Alexander grumbled and gave her Beth. "But I get to hold her after you." He said. 

            “Oh…look at her.” Angie breathed softly as she cradled her niece and goddaughter. “Who knew Philip could ever have such a cute baby? It’s probably all Theo’s genes, we can only hope that's the case.”

            Her brother rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” He grumbled. "I was a cute baby, she looks like me too!" He argued. Theo smiled and reached out to Philip. He rested back in the bed with her, holding her close. He chuckled a bit and watched his sister slowly walk around the room with Beth in her arms. 

            “Are you going to be a little hell raiser like me? Yes, you are.” Angie cooed softly to the newborn. “You’re going to drive your daddy crazy and keep him up all night! But you're going to be a perfect angel for mommy aren't you?”

            “Look, she’s already tainting her!” Philip protested to his wife. “This will be a mistake naming her the godmother, I’m telling you now. I'm blaming you when she turns out to be a carbon copy of Angie when she's a teenager.”

            “No…” Theo shook her head. “She’ll give her confidence…good confidence, not your kind.” She corrected herself when she saw her husband try to protest again. "Not arrogance." She teased and kissed his cheek.

            “Fine, who did you name the godfather then, while I was out of the room, I can only guess?” Philip asked bitterly.

            “Well…AJ but we named another godmother too.” Theo looked to Angie as if it was okay to say so.

            “Thank God…wait what?” Philip looked confused, as did the grandparents who were listening into the conversation.

            “My girlfriend,” Angie said trying not to sound nervous. She’d thought about it, after the miracle of a distraction, Theo’s delivery. She decided after the long wait that she had no choice but to tell her family the truth. They would always find out no matter how hard she tried to hide it, that was the Hamilton way.

            “And were you going to actually introduce us to your girlfriend before making her a secondary godmother?” Alexander asked impatiently. He had no problem with his kids being anything but straight. He would always be proud of them. The problem he had with what she said was the fact that she never told him. 

            “Well, I didn’t think you’d all take it very well,” Angie said sheepishly. “In fact…I still feel sort of like I’m betraying the family name.” She admitted. "Honestly, dad you probably would be better off if you didn't know." 

            "It's too late for that, you need to tell me." Alexander prompted. 

            Theo gave her a reassuring look. They’d already talked through Angie’s emotions and she did her best to guide her. She knew what it was like being in a relationship that wasn't accepted by her father. “It’s okay, Ange.” She said softly.

            Angie nodded and took a deep breath before letting the truth out. “Dad…I’m dating Lucy…Jefferson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh, all the Hamilton children are out to give Alexander a heart attack. Historical inaccuracy note: Lucy Jefferson died in her infancy. But again, nothing in this fic is accurate.


	26. Chapter 26

            Eliza nearly had to catch her husband from fainting when he processed what his daughter had said.

            “JEFFERSON?” Alexander, Aaron, and Philip both exclaimed at the same time.

            Eliza quickly went to her daughter’s aid. “Lucy is probably a lovely girl. Just because you men have your prejudices, doesn’t mean Angie can’t be happy.”

            “Elizabeth, it’s…it’s Jefferson!” Alexander exclaimed, his face turning red quickly. “Jefferson! As in…as in...Thomas Jefferson!”

            Eliza looked at her husband. “Did you almost forget his first name?”

            “What? No…no, that doesn’t matter! What matter is Jefferson is trying to get to me through my own daughter! He's trying to infiltrate this family!” Alexander flailed his arms about trying to get his point across.

            “Enough, Alexander, that’s the exact same thing you said about Aaron.” Eliza crossed her arms over her chest. "And guess what? It turned out not to be true at all, right?" 

            “She has a point,” Theo added in. “Lucy’s a nice girl.”

            “Theo, don’t encourage her please,” Philip said.

            “Excuse you?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him like she couldn't believe he had spoken that way to her.

            Her husband shrugged. “I mean, Jefferson’s sort of an asshole. Do you really think that doesn’t influence his kids?”

            Theo glared at him. “Who do you sound like right now?” She demanded. “Take a wild guess. How about our fathers when you told him we were dating?”

            Alexander and Aaron looked at each other. “No…it’s totally different.” Aaron said and Alex nodded in agreement. "Jefferson is not to be trusted." 

            “D-different?” Theo spluttered. “How!?”

            “It’s just different!” Philip held his hands up. “Look, I’m only trying to protect my baby sister from someone like Jefferson. I mean right…” He looked over to where his sister was standing but she had disappeared.

            Beth had been handed to AJ as she left. The third eldest Hamilton looked a little confused as he held the baby. “What’s up with her?” AJ asked not knowing why Angie had stormed off.

            “Your father was being horrible to her.” Eliza snapped. "Thanks, Alexander, that was _really_ nice." She left the hospital room to go comfort, Angie.

            Alexander looked bewildered. “Am I crazy for wanting to keep my family away from Jefferson?” He asked Aaron.

            “Alexander, I don’t think I want to upset your wife any more than we already have.” Aaron shook his head. “I agree with you but…” He glanced over at his daughter who was sending daggers at Philip. “Perhaps you need to speak to Jefferson, it would be best to lay it out on the table.”

 

            Lucy Jefferson smiled when she opened a text from Angie. It was a picture of Baby Beth. ‘She’s so cute! Say congrats to Theo for me.’ Lucy texted back to her girlfriend, but before she could send the message, her phone rang.

            Lucy answered the call when she saw it was Angie. “Hi, I just got your text, she’s beautiful!” She exclaimed. “Theo and Philip must be so happy.”

            “They are, look I need to tell you something.” Angie sounded beyond upset. She was breathless and sounded like she’d been crying.

            “What is it? What’s wrong?” Lucy asked gently. “Ange, did something happen to the baby?”           

            “No, no, Beth is perfectly fine. I just…I told my dad.”

            Lucy panicked. “You told him about…about us?” She asked hoping that wasn’t the case.

            “I-I thought it was the right time.” Angie hiccupped. “I’m so sorry…”

            “Sh…baby, it’s okay.” Lucy soothed. “It’s not our fault how our dads react, it’s how we react. I love you, you know that right?”

            Angie started to sob. “Yes, yes….I love you too.”

            Lucy smiled sadly and almost felt like crying when she heard the love of her life in so much distress. “Then that’s all that matters. Theo knows exactly what we’re going through, right? Talk to her. I’m trying to get a train ticket to come to the city. It won’t be long.”

            Angie wrapped her arms around herself. “I need you here.” She shuddered a sigh.

            “It won’t be long,” Lucy promised. “Just stay with Theo and the baby. We’ll face our families together."

            Angie bit her lip. “I love you…I love you. I don’t care, though…I don’t care what they say.”

            “I know, neither do I,” Lucy said softly. “I need to make reservations to get to New York. Will you be alright if I hang up?”

            “Yes…just hurry.” Angie sniffled. “I feel alone.”

            “You’re not alone.” She replied. “Just because I can’t hug you doesn’t mean I’m not here for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally love Angie and Lucy. And I also wanted to address Angie's mental illness, subtly, because of what happened to Philip in real life. If you want, read up about it, but it's a little sad. I want to incorporate more of it, though because I think Lucy being Angie's support system is just perfect.


	27. Chapter 27

            Jefferson slammed the phone down on his desk, almost sending James Madison into another coughing fit.

            “What?” James looked up at his friend in surprise.

            “Hamilton.” Jefferson snarled. He couldn't go a week without having a run-in with his arch-enemy but this time, it was more personal than ever before. 

            “What about him?” James asked.   

            “He just sent me a very colorful text informing me that our daughters apparently are dating. Over my dead body, I’m going to New York.” He announced and called his aide over the speaker on his desk. “Sally, get me a flight to New York, first class. ASAP!”

            “Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little bit?” James asked. "I mean your daughter's an adult she can make her own choices. Angelica's a Hamilton sure but...maybe you're being a bit dramatic?" 

            “Absolutely not. I'm never dramatic.”

 

            Lucy Jefferson was still cursing about New York traffic under her breath as she walked into the hospital. She made her way to the maternity ward and found Angie in the waiting room. “Hey, Hamilton.”

            Angie looked up when she heard the familiar voice and a wave of relief washed over her whole body. She stood up to hug her girlfriend tightly. “Hey, Jefferson.” She said softly.

            “How are you?” Lucy hugged her back hoping that she could take the stress away from her. 

            “Fine…holding in there. I just felt so alone but not anymore.” Angie sighed and buried her head in Lucy’s shoulder, her face covered in her dark curls. "I don't feel alone with you...but my family is just..." She made an exasperated noise. "It's like I told them I was dating a convicted serial killer." She said sarcastically. 

            “Trust me, my dad’s been blowing my phone up the whole time it took me to get here. I didn't want to talk to him, I feel like I know exactly what he's going to say to me.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “We’ll get through this one way or another. Your dad got over Theo being a Burr, he'll be able to accept us in the long run.” She pointed out.

            “Yeah but he doesn’t realize that he’s doing the _exact_ same thing to us,” Angie grumbled. "He's such a hypocrite sometimes, I feel like shaking him." 

            Lucy was about to say something but was interrupted by Alexander and Thomas storming into the waiting room almost at the exact same time. It was a moment of deja vu for Alexander way back to when Philip and Theo were college freshmen. _Hadn't he done this before with Burr?_

            “Hamilton...”

            “Jefferson...”

            “Congratulations on your grandchild, what’s it feel like to be old?” Jefferson cocked his head to the side like he was asking him a serious question. 

            “I won’t pretend to ignore that,” Alexander replied fiercely. “But I also won’t respond. Whatever you’re planning with your daughter will end today. I refuse to let a Jefferson destroy my family.”

            “What _I’m_ planning? What about you? I wouldn’t put treason past you, Alexander. I think we all know the lengths you'll go to ruin any chances I have for a government position. I'm so sorry I'm a little more popular than you'll ever be.”

            “Treason!? Do you even know what that word means? Talk about popularity? Seen the recent polls?”

            Eliza heard the two yelling from the hospital room and went in to drag the two petrified girls out of the war zone. “I can’t believe them. I’m so sorry, you two. They're being ridiculous, don't listen to a word either of them says.” She sighed deeply and left to tell off both Thomas and Alexander. She shut the door behind her to drown out the arguing. 

            Theo smiled when she saw Lucy and Angie come in. “Look who it is.” She stood up to go to the bassinette where Beth was resting. Philip was asleep in a chair nearby, exiled from the hospital bed by his upset wife. “Your godmothers are here.” She told her daughter softly as she picked the newborn up.

           Beth yawned and made a small cooing sound as she started to recognize her mother's touch and the sound of her voice. Lucy and Angie immediately forgot about the tension they were in the middle of when they saw the small bundle. Angie reached out to take her niece into her arms again. “Hi Beth.” She whispered.

            “Oh Theo, she’s precious.” Lucy said softly as she looked over to see her goddaughter for the first time.         

            Theo sat cross-legged on the bed and smiled. “She’s the light of our life now.” She said gently. “I’ve never felt so much love for such a tiny human being.”

            “I just can’t wait until she grows up and completely tears up the fabric of society. A Hamilton-Burr…just wait for it.” Angie shook her head at the idea of it. 

            “It doesn’t sound so absurd to me anymore. They’re just names. I mean years ago I would've cringed at someone saying that. I was so scared my father would be disappointed. But I know it just means love for me now. It's Beth and she's my greatest love.” Theo shrugged and watched Beth’s small hand curl around her swaddle. “What about a Hamilton-Jefferson?”

            The girls all looked at each other and burst out laughing at how the very idea could make their fathers faint. They woke up Philip and Beth started to whine at the amount of noise. Philip grumbled his disapproval and reached over to Angie for his daughter. “We’re trying to sleep.” He muttered and held Beth close to his chest. He’d found early on that his heartbeat lulled her to sleep without fail.

            “Aren’t you going to say hi to Lucy?” Theo asked impatiently. "Don't be rude." 

            Philip opened his eyes again and looked over to where his sister’s girlfriend was sitting. “Oh…sorry I didn’t even see you there. It’s nice to meet you, Lucy.”

            “It’s nice to meet you too, Philip.” Lucy smiled. “Congratulations, she’s perfect.”

            Philip chuckled. “Yeah she’s alright so far.” He teased and gently pushed the few wisps of hair away from Beth’s forehead. “Honestly, she’s better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

            Theo bit her lip and felt tears rise up in her eyes. Sure she was a little peeved off that Philip had sided with Alexander and Aaron, but she couldn’t deny the whole father-figure thing. He made her fall even more in love with him as she saw him care for their daughter. Beth rested her cheek against Philip’s chest and fell back asleep.

            “We’re taking bets on her first words now. Uncle Herc won the birthday pool and I refuse to let him take my money. I want it back, so her first words are the new bet.” Philip informed his sister and Lucy.

            “You’re going to bet on her entire life.” Angie rolled her eyes at her brother. “What her first book will be, her grades, whether she passes her drivers test…”

            “Agh, no…” Theo interrupted her and covered her own ears. “Don’t talk about driving, that’s too far away, I don’t want to hear it. She's less than a day old, don't even speak of her being a teenager.”

            Angie just laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach her, you don’t have to worry about having a panic attack. Alright, Phil, her first word will be ‘mama’.” She bet.

            “I think LuLu is a better bet, much easier to say.” Lucy smirked.

            “Both fair guesses just don’t be upset when she says ‘dada’.” Philip warned and kissed his daughter’s forehead. “She’ll always be daddy’s little girl.”


	28. Chapter 28

            Eliza practically quarantined Alexander, Aaron, and Thomas away from the kids. She told them to settle their differences away from the teenagers and the newborn baby. She tried to be the mediator but the arguments always ended with her and Aaron pulling the two men away from each other. 

            Beth was cleared to go home and Philip was so happy to start their family life. He pulled the car up to the front of the hospital where Theo was waiting in a wheelchair with Beth in her arms. He got out and went to secure the car seat in the back. “What is this?” He grumbled as he fumbled with the different mechanisms and straps. “Agh…” He cursed under his breath.

            “Need help?” Theo stood up to see how her husband was getting along with it. 

            “No, no, no, I’ve got it.” He waved her away.

            Theo sighed and rolled her eyes. “So stubborn...hold her.” She passed Beth over to him and ducked into the backseat. “Christ…this is…complicated. Why didn’t we look at this before?” She asked herself out loud. 

            Philip chuckled and gently swayed back and forth with Beth. “Because we’re new parents who won’t get anything right.”

            “Don’t even say that,” Theo muttered. “I’m not letting a car seat get the best of me.” She finally buckled the seat in after a few minutes and smiled triumphantly. “Ha. Okay, I’ll sit in the back with her. If you don’t drive carefully I’ll strangle you.” She warned.

            “Trust me, I won’t even go over twenty. We’ve got precious cargo.” Philip vowed and kissed Beth’s forehead before giving her back to Theo so she could secure her in the seat.

 

            Later on in the week, once the new family was all settled, Lucy and Angie came over to escape any grief from their feuding families.

            “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Manhattan where we lay our scene…”

            “Shut up, Philip!” Angie chucked a pillow from the sofa at her brother.

            Philip deflected the blow with his hands and snickered. “Don’t think I know what it feels like. Remember how much Aaron hated me?”

            “Yeah like just a few months ago you mean?” His sister retorted sarcastically.

            “Debatable, but sure. However, you define hate.” Philip sat down in the armchair in the den and pulled Theo into his arms. "Now I'm the best son-in-law he has." 

            "You're his only son-in-law." Theo reminded him.

            Lucy didn’t want to talk about how their fathers were fighting. She wished none of it were going on and all of it was a bad nightmare. “So what’s it like having Beth home?” She asked.

            Theo smiled and shook her head. “It’s so strange. I feel like something is supposed to happen. But now we just have to raise her…it’s a little surreal.” She admitted. “It’s like she’s not really ours…she’s too perfect.”

            “Yeah, she's great at using hundreds of diapers in her first few days of life. Too perfect” Philip rolled his eyes playfully. Theo sighed and nudged him. 

            “Oh I’m sure Beth already has you wrapped around her finger,” Lucy said fondly.

            “Well…” The baby monitor on the coffee table crackled and a soft whine came through the speaker. Philip jumped up. “I’ll check on her.” He rushed to the nursery to tend to Beth.

            Theo smiled warmly and nodded to Lucy. “She sure does…”

 

            It was late afternoon when Angie and Lucy walked back to her apartment. The sun was setting fire to the sky, adding a bit of warmth to the frigid day. Even still, the two walked close together to keep the nipping wind away. 

            “I sort of got you a…New Year present.” Lucy admitted as they walked up the steps.

            “New Years?” Angie raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend. She took her mittens off to get the key into the lock.

            “Well, you would complain if I said it was another Christmas present.” She shrugged sheepishly. She started to unwrap her scarf, longing to get in the heated apartment.

            “Because you already got me one,” Angie replied and opened the door. That’s when she heard a soft melody of songbirds as she walked in. She looked over at Lucy with a confused expression. 

            “You gave me a key so I used it to my advantage,” Lucy answered and took her girlfriend's coat off for her. She nodded for her to go further into the apartment as she continued to pull off her own layers.

            Angie walked in and gasped when she saw an ornate cage near the windows of her living room. Inside the ivory colored cage were three, little, yellow birds. They hopped about the various perches and toys in the cage as they chirped and trilled. Angie went up to the cage and pressed a hand to her heart. The birds fluttered about as she approached and eyed her. She touched the bars of the cage and held out a finger to the birds. “Lucy…”

            “You mentioned that you actually liked when birds sang in the morning. I saw them at the pet store and I couldn't help myself.” She said shyly and walked up behind her. “I hope it’s alright…I didn’t ask beforehand and I know I should have but…”

            Angie had tears in her eyes as she turned around. “Stop it. They’re perfect. You’re…you’re too much. I love you so much.” She went to hug her girlfriend tightly. “Oh my God, I love you so much.”

            Lucy smiled and hugged her back. “I’m glad you like them.” She whispered. “You’re my everything, Angelica. I would do anything for you, this is the least I can do. I wish I could end our problems with our families. I wish I could take every hardship away from you. I love you...you're everything to me.”

            "My Lucy...." Angie felt like crying, her heart was so full of love. She had been surrounded by love her whole life. She was daddy’s little girl, mommy’s best friend, Philip’s little sister, and her other sibling’s big sister. She knew what love was. But Lucy’s love was entirely new to her. It was pure, overwhelming, and gave her life.

            She and Lucy stayed there for a while, keeping each other close. The sun set over the room and the birds continued singing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angie/Lucy is my everything. *Sigh* I got a Hamilton calendar with all the birthdays and other significant events of Alexander Hamilton and Co. It's super cool...I'll probably wear black on peoples' deathdays. Oh well. The obsession will never end. Anyways, hope everyone's enjoying the fic. Thank you for all the support it means a lot to me.


	29. Chapter 29

            Beth Hamilton barely touched any surface the first few weeks of her life. She was always in someone’s arms. Theo would hold her as she studied and did homework. Philip would fall asleep on the couch in front of the TV with Beth resting on his chest. Eliza would hold her granddaughter close and murmur the names of all the people who loved Beth; the list got longer every visit. Alexander would walk around the apartment with Beth, swaying gently as he sang to her. Aaron read to her no matter how many times Theo told him the baby was only twelve days old. Angie and Lucy showed Beth pictures of the family and told her stories about every photograph. Angelica and Peggy would sing lullabies to her together, harmonizing softly.

            “I thought people were weird when they say there’s a new baby smell…but I think it’s legit.”

            “It’s just the baby powder.” Theo laughed softly and gently patted Beth’s back after feeding her. “Weren’t you just complaining about diapers yesterday?”

            “Hm…oh yeah. You’re such a little stinker sometimes.” Philip leaned over the couch to kiss Beth’s forehead.

            Beth opened her eyes and stared up at her father. She had begun to recognize voices around her but got a little confused with all the people coming in and out to visit.

            “Hey gorgeous, how has your day been?” Philip murmured.

            Beth waved her arms around jerkily, still figuring out how to move her own body. She cooed and closed her eyes again.

            “I think that means it was good.” Theo smiled warmly. “Philip…” She glanced up at him. “I love you.” She whispered.

            Philip smiled and kissed her softly. “I love you too. We have a family now…it’s crazy and amazing. You’ve given me the best gift in the entire world. She’s absolutely perfect and I couldn’t be happier right now.”

            Theo felt her chest tighten from being overemotional. He’d been doing that often. “Have you talked to Angie recently?” She asked.

            “Yeah, she said dad and Jefferson are actually talking. Apparently Jefferson tried to get Lucy to go back to Boston, or even D.C. but she’s staying. Lucy’s really protective over Ange I guess.”

            Theo tried to study his expression. “And…you’re okay with that right?” She asked.

            “Of course, I mean Angie loves her, that’s pretty obvious. I just…I don’t know if Lucy knows the whole truth.” Philip shrugged.

            “The whole truth about what?”

 

            Lucy woke up on the couch after Angie had made her take a nap. She had gotten hysterical after yet another phone call from her father about her relationship. Angie had held her until she finally drifted off.

            But when she woke up, Lucy found she was alone. She sat up and looked over to see her girlfriend feeding the birds. She noticed the adoration in her eyes as she watched the little canaries dance about. It made Lucy happy to see her happy. Nothing made her feel more in love than to see Angie smile.

            Angie noticed Lucy had sat up and glanced over at her. “Did they wake you?” She asked.

            “No, they’re soothing to listen to.” Lucy said and stood up. “That nap was a good idea.” She sighed and hugged Angie from behind.

            Angie rested her hands over hers. “I knew it would be. I know it’s taking a toll on you.”

            “It’s taking a toll on everyone. Angie…I heard you crying last night.” Lucy revealed. She knew Angie thought she was asleep, but Lucy had woken up to her sniffling. She wanted to comfort her but Angie left presumably to pace around the loft like she always did when she was upset.

            Angie stared at the birds. “Oh…I didn’t mean to wake you…”

            “That doesn’t matter. Why haven’t you talked to me about what you’re feeling?” Lucy murmured, not wanting to sound accusing. “You won’t burden me, I’m here to listen to you. We’re not apart anymore, I’m literally sleeping in your bed, babe, all you have to do is roll over to talk to me.” She gently tickled her girlfriend’s sides.

            Angie giggled quietly and batted her hands away. “I know…”

            “Then please talk to me.”

            The eldest Hamilton girl took a deep breath. She turned and wrapped her arms around Lucy’s neck. She looked into her hazel eyes. “I don’t deal with stress easily. You know that medication I take?” She asked.

            “Yeah…”

            “It’s…shit you’re going to think I’m psycho.” Angie’s face creased with panic.

            “Unless you murdered someone, I highly doubt that…you didn’t murder anyone did you?” Lucy asked with a hint of her father’s sarcastic playfulness.

            Angie rolled her eyes. “Who would I murder? Philip hasn’t pissed me off that much. No, it’s-it’s just some anxiety medication. I’ve been taking it…well since I was seventeen I guess.” She looked to see her reaction. She was terrified that Lucy would be scared of her. She was scared that she would turn around and walk right out of the apartment. _‘My dad was right, you Hamiltons are nuts’._ Angie’s stomach twisted up in fear like Lucy had already disappeared.

            “Okay, so you take some medication, a lot of people do. That doesn’t make you crazy, babe” Lucy shrugged. She had a feeling she shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. She didn’t want to make her girlfriend get even more worried. “What happened?”

            “My brother almost died and I felt like the world was ending.” Angie took a shaky breath. “He got better, obviously but I never fully recovered. I have nightmares that I’m going to lose my family. And then…you came into my life and it was the best thing that could’ve ever happened. But you make me so scared.” She whispered.

            “Why?” Lucy ran a hand through Angie’s loose curls.

            “Because I love you so much. I know it sounds ridiculous but what happens if we break up or something happens to you?” Angie was starting to visibly break down.

            Lucy reined her into her arms. She gently rubbed Angie’s back and hushed her softly. “That’s not going to happen.” She promised. “We can have fights, everyone does. But Angelica Hamilton, you’re the love of my life. I can’t imagine living without you and I don’t want to. If you want to be the ninety-year-old lesbian couple in the neighborhood with me than I can’t wait. I can’t wait to spend every holiday, birthday, hell I can’t wait to spend every single ordinary day with you. I cherish every minute with you, because you make every boring second something beautiful. Angie…we all have flaws and that’s okay. Is that all right with you?”

            Angie was openly crying by the time Lucy had finished talking. “It is…every single day….I-I can’t wait for every day with you too.”

            Lucy smiled and used her thumbs to wipe the tears off her cheeks. “Screw our dads, Hamiltons and Jeffersons can get along.” She kissed the tip of Angie’s nose. “I’m going to marry you.”

            “Not if I marry the hell out of you first.” Angie giggled and hugged her tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Angie/Lucy because they deserve it. I promise next chapter will bring some Hamilton/Jefferson confrontation. It'll be fun, insults will be flying, rap battlesque if you will.


	30. Chapter 30

           

            Unfortunately, after there was life brought into the world, there was a life lost.

            “Alexander?”

            “I know, Eliza, I’m almost done.” It was late and Eliza had been trying to get her husband to finish his work and come to bed. It was her third time poking her head into the office and reminding him of the time. 

            “No…I uh…Martha just called me a few minutes ago.” Eliza’s voice was strangely broken up. Before she had sounded alright, but this time there was something obviously wrong.

            Alexander looked up. “What’s wrong?” He asked gently.

            “George died.”          

            Alexander slowly took off his glasses and felt like he was suddenly numb. “What? What do you mean he died? He didn't tell me he was sick...he...”

            “I’m so sorry…” Eliza walked around his desk. She could see how pale he got and was afraid of his reaction. She didn't want to tell him at all, she knew how devastating it would be to him. 

            Alexander stood up shakily, resting a hand on his desk. “No but…”

            Eliza hugged him close, supporting his weight. “I’ve got you, she said he wasn’t in any pain, I know how much he meant to you…”

            “I didn’t get to say goodbye.” Alex got choked up. “It’s not fair…Eliza...”

            “I know…I know.” Eliza whispered. “Sh…I know…I know…”

 

            After the funeral, Alexander lingered around Washington’s grave. Philip patted him on the shoulder as he took Theo’s hand and walked back to the car with Beth in her arms. Eliza kissed his cheek. “Take your time.” She whispered.

            Alexander nodded, still staring at the gravestone. _General George Washington._ It still hadn’t fully sunk in for him. Washington had always been there for him, ever since the war. He was the first person in America who felt like family. It was because of him that he met Eliza. He owed so much to the gentle man.

            Someone near Alexander cleared his throat. He glanced over and was surprised to see Jefferson. He’d seen Thomas at the funeral but hadn’t thought much about it. He figured he would be there, most of D.C. was.

            “I know how much he meant to you. I’m sorry for your loss, he was a good man.” Thomas said in the quietest voice Alexander had ever heard from the man.

            “He was…” Alex replied.

            “We had our differences but I know how much he did for everyone in this country.” Jefferson looked at the stone too.

            “We’re in different parties but at the end of the day we’re all just politicians.” Alexander sighed. “He was more than just a politician. He…he was the only person to ever call me son. I told him not too but…I wish I hadn’t. I just wanted to be able to say goodbye to him but I never got to.”

            Thomas nodded. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say to his rival.

            “It makes you think doesn’t it?”

            “About what?”

            “About how short life is,” Alexander answered. “I feel like it’s only been a few days since I came to America. But look, the war’s over, I’ve got seven kids, a grandkid, and he’s gone.”

            “It feels like only yesterday he was pulling us away from each other’s throats at cabinet meetings.” Jefferson joked.

            Alexander snorted and shook his head. “He was pretty good at that.” He admitted.

            “Wonder who’s going to fill his place.”

            “Maybe no one will have too.”        

            Thomas looked at him in surprise. “Is that an olive branch?” He raised an eyebrow.

            “Whether we like it or not, our daughters are in love.” Alexander shrugged. “We can butt heads and argue about it for a few more years or we can just get over it now.”

            “You’re actually making some sense.” Thomas smiled a bit. “But you’re right, Lucy hasn’t stopped scolding me about it. She won’t stop talking about Angie.”

            “And vice versa. Angie loves a Jefferson, God help us all.”

            Thomas shook his head. “Lucy mentioned marriage and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. There’ll probably be an earthquake if they do.”

            “I guess we’ll see.” Alexander stuck his hands in his winter coat. “Want to come to Christmas at my house?” He looked over at him. “Burr will be there…well everyone will be there, to be honest.”

            “I should want to spend the holidays with my daughter so I suppose I’ll be there. Thank you, Hamilton.”

            “Don’t thank me, our daughters are to blame.” Alexander took one last look at Washington’s grave. “I wonder if he knew his death would bring us closer together.” He thought out loud.

            “He always had a plan for something,” Thomas replied. “C’mon, I’m freezing.” He nodded to the row of cars outside the cemetery.

            Eliza thought she was seeing things when she looked out the car window and saw Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton walking side by side, having a peaceful conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who wants another Hamilton/Burr Christmas? I'll make it more fun by adding two Jeffersons.


	31. Chapter 31

            “Jingle bells, AJ smells…”

            “Elizabeth!”

            Eight-year-old Liza Hamilton giggled and ducked out of the kitchen as Eliza scolded her.

            “When did she get so sassy?” Philip looked appalled at his baby sister.

            Eliza glared at all of her adult children who were helping her make cookies. “You were all that way. _You_ all taught her that.” She accused.

            “My Angie misbehaved as a child?” Lucy faked a gasp. “I never would’ve guessed!”

            “Hey, I was a smart kid.” Angie defended herself and flicked a bit of flour at her girlfriend.

            “We went to visit Lafayette in France when Angie was ten. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and almost had a heart attack when I found her climbing the fence to get to the other side.” Eliza told them.

            Philip laughed. “I remember that.” Beth heard her dad laughing from her bassinette and squealed. Philip smiled and went to go tickle her stomach. “Want to learn how to make cookies?” He picked her up to bring her over to the table where Angie and Lucy were cutting shapes out of the dough. “That’s the easy job…your godmothers are slacking off.”

            “Hey! This requires precision and patience. You’re the one with the baby in your arms, slacker.” Angie replied.

            “Moving on…” Philip grinned. “Grandma’s mixing...”

            Eliza smiled up at Beth. “Hi, my love.” She murmured and made Beth coo softly.

            “What are mommy and Uncle AJ doing?” Philip brought Beth over to them. “Frosting’s the best part, when you’re old enough you can do this. It’s the best job, you get to eat all of it.”

            Theo looked up and rolled her eyes. “She’s not going to grow up like you, junk food addict.”

            “C’mon, it makes me so sweet.” Philip batted his eyes.

            Theo couldn’t help but smile and stand up to kiss him. Beth squealed happily and grabbed her mother’s necklace when she came in close. It was the same owl necklace Philip had gotten her years ago. Theo pulled back and smiled at her daughter. “Isn’t that pretty?” She murmured.

            Beth examined the silver charm in her pudgy hands. She glanced up at Theo with thoughtful eyes.

            The front door opened and the rest of the Schuyler sisters came in. “Where’s the baby!?” They both cried and bustled into the kitchen. Angelica got Beth first, holding her close. “Who’s the most perfect, beautiful creation on Earth?” She cooed. “Oh, she’s looking more and more like you both every day.” She said to Theo and Philip.

            “She’s got more of her mom in her.” Philip shrugged and wrapped an arm around Theo. She leaned into his side and sighed softly.

            “She’s so precious, it’s so not fair.” Peggy protested.

            Eliza wiped her hands on a towel to go hug her sisters. “Did you see the boys outside? They were trying to hang up some lights and we haven’t heard from them in a bit.”

            Peggy giggled. “Alexander was testing out his profanity vocabulary, Aaron was holding the ladder giving instructions, and Laf was filming it all. I think John and Herc just kept unplugging them just to piss him off.”

            Eliza sighed and shook her head. “Well it’s getting late, the others will be here soon.”

            “MOTHER FU-” There was a loud bang and everyone jumped. They heard Lafayette laughing and Alexander cursing up a storm. Eliza ran outside to see what had happened. She gasped when she saw her husband on the lawn, in the snow.

            “What happened?”

            Laf was too hysterical to answer. Aaron sighed and knelt down to help Alexander up. “I told you not to lean back so far.”

            “You were supposed to be holding the ladder, Burr,” Alexander grumbled and stood up. “I’m fine, Eliza.”

            Eliza ran to her husband’s aid. “Oh, you stupid man I told you not to get up on that ladder!” She scolded and checked his eyes to make sure he wasn’t concussed. “You’re too old for this, what about your back?”

            “I may be a grandfather but I’m not old.” Alexander corrected. “I’m okay, don’t worry about me.” He winced as he went to walk back inside.

            “I’m going to put that on ze YouTube, I got ze whole thing on tape!” Lafayette cackled.

            “I will sue you if you do!” Alexander snapped. “Oh great…” He muttered when he saw Thomas and Martha Jefferson walking up the front pathway to the house.

            “Martha, Thomas, it’s so nice to see you both!” Eliza smiled.

            “Thank you for inviting us. It’s so nice to see some snow.” Martha laughed softly and held out a wine bottle to her. “I hope you like red, I love this type.”

            “Oh thank you!” Eliza ushered her into the house, the two chatting about red wine.

            “Hamilton…Burr…Lafayette…”

            “Jefferson…”

            “Where’s the rest of your motley crew?” Jefferson asked looking around.

            “They’re inside messing with the lights.” Alexander guessed. “Won’t you come in?” He gritted his teeth when he felt the pain in his back.

            “Mom, dad!” Lucy smiled and hurried to hug them both.

            “My darling,” Martha said gently and kissed her cheek. “And you must be Angie, so nice to meet you.” She went to hug her next.

            “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Jefferson.”

            “Oh please, call me Martha. Such a beautiful family you have, Eliza.” She said looking around the kitchen. “And there’s the little one!” She saw Beth in Peggy’s arms. “She’s beautiful.”

            “Thank you.” Theo beamed proudly. “Just turned a month, it’s going by so fast.”

            “They sprout like weeds, that’s for sure.” Jefferson ruffled Lucy’s hair.

            “Dad.” She rolled her eyes and batted his hands away.

            “Well, we’re all so glad to have everyone together….”

            “Is Alexander still out there? He must be so mad….” John came in with the light plug in his hands. He saw Alex and his grin faded. “Oh…hey…”

            “You son of a…”

            “Alexander!” Eliza glared at him. “I don’t have another swear jar yet, watch your language.”

            “The price has gone up since the baby arrived.” Philip chuckled.

            “Ten dollars is ridiculous, I’ll be broke before she turns one,” Alexander said grumpily. They continued back and forth about the jar, Jefferson making fun of Alex.

 

            Angie tugged on Lucy’s shoulder. “Let’s go somewhere private.” She murmured in her ear.

            Lucy smirked and nodded. She followed her girlfriend upstairs to her room. “Too much excitement?” She asked.

            “Not really, but I didn’t want to do this in front of all of them. Some family members might have a heart attack.”

            “Do what…” Lucy’s voice faltered when she saw Angie sink to one knee. “Angie?”

            “I think you know what’s coming.” The Hamilton girl winked at her.

            “Oh my God…” Lucy giggled and held her hands up to her mouth. “Angie!”   

            She reached into her pocket and pulled out a modest ring. “I love you, I hope you know that. I want to spend my life with you because the last four years with you have been the happiest of my life. I know how much you care for me and I don’t know what I did to deserve such love. You’re my gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful, and oh so sexy girlfriend. You’re my Lucy.” Angie winked at her. “I told you I was going to marry you, this is just another step towards that. So what do you say?”

            “Of course, of course, yes!” Lucy tackled her girlfriend, kissing her over and over again. Angie giggled and wrapped her arms around her fiancee.

 

            Eliza pinched the bridge of her nose as Martha poured her another glass of wine. “Why did we marry them?” She looked up at her husband and Thomas. They had been arguing in French for almost ten minutes.

            “I wonder that every day.” Martha sighed and clinked glasses with her. “Here’s to the loyal wives.”

            “Best of wives and best of women.” Eliza laughed softly and shook her head.

            Lafayette was watching the spectacle, like it was a TV show, laughing at all the French curses thrown in.

            Philip rolled his eyes and blocked Beth’s ears. “Who forgot to add French swears to the swear jar list?” He questioned.

            “Oh Philip, I know you think she’s already bilingual but she’s not.” Theo teased.

            “Correct, she’s _tri_ lingual.” Philip tickled Beth’s stomach. “Right? We’re learning Italian too, right, love?” He cooed.

            Theo smiled when Beth babbled happily and squirmed in his arms. She leaned over and kissed Philip’s cheek. “I love you both so much.” She whispered, leaving one more kiss over his freckles.

            “Well we’re very lovable, Mrs. Hamilton, you can’t deny that,” Philip replied and shifted Beth in his arms. He pulled Theo onto his lap giving Beth to her so he could wrap his arms around them both. “My two ladies, love of my lives, my muses.” He murmured.

            Theo watched Beth slowly close her eyes and yawn. “I never thought my life could be this wonderful.” She whispered.

            Philip glanced up when he heard the French argument end without warning. He glanced over and saw Lucy and his sister were suddenly in the room.

            “Wh-what…?” Alexander stammered.

            “Come again?” Jefferson raised an eyebrow.

            “We’re engaged!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVE FOR EVERYONE...I won't be so fluffy next time. We haven't had a lot of conflict lately.


	32. Chapter 32

            Beth squealed as Theo trickled water over her head. She clapped her hands together and then splashed at the soap bubbles.

            Theo laughed softly and gently rinsed the soap away from the baby’s skin. “I’m so lucky you like baths.” She murmured. “Your mommy’s perfect angel, aren’t you?”

            Beth gurgled and tried to grab at her mother’s hands. When she couldn’t get a hold of her, she reached out and latched onto a bath toy.

            “Alright, you’re going to turn into a prune if you’re in here any longer.” Theo reached for the towel on the floor and lifted Beth out of the tub. She held her daughter close, rubbing her dry. “Do you want to put on your duckie bathrobe?” She cooed. “We can send a picture to Grandpa Aaron.”

            Beth recognized the name and screeched happily.

            “Is there a zoo in here?” Philip poked his head into the bathroom.

            “Nope, just one monkey.” Theo stood up and kissed Beth’s cheek. “Can you finish drying her off? I need to get ready.”

            Philip groaned. “Another night shift?”

            “The hospital’s understaffed, I’m sorry. Besides, if I want to get my degree I need to get these hours in.” Theo reminded him and handed their daughter over.

            “I know but couldn’t you…I mean they know you have a baby right?”

            “Of course they do.” Theo walked down the hall to their bedroom. “They also know that I want to be a doctor. We talked about this Philip, we’re going to need to make sacrifices for each other.”

            “Yeah I’m making a lot of sacrifices alright.” Philip muttered. He turned into the nursery before Theo could make another comment. He laid Beth on the changing table and got her a clean diaper and a fresh onesie. “How does purple polka dots sound?’ He held up the fleece fabric to show her. The little girl was always the perfect distraction from the tension building between him and Theo. Beth blew bubbles at him and reached for the onesie. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Philip smiled and got her dressed. “I think it’s just going to be you and me for story time tonight, kid. Maybe we can stay up late…”

            “She has a checkup tomorrow morning, she can’t stay up late.” Theo interrupted. She was dressed in her scrubs waiting in the doorway.

            “I was just kidding.” Philip subtly rolled his eyes. He picked Beth up to put her in her crib.

            Theo made an irritated noise. “Philip, her hair is still wet. You can’t put her to sleep like that.” She walked over to take her from him.

            “Sorry, I was going to wait for it to dry when I was sitting up with her.” Philip replied in a ticked off voice.

            “This is why I hate leaving you two alone for the night.” Theo said, anger growing in her voice. “You never answer my calls when I check in, and it makes me nervous.” She ruffled a towel through Beth’s curls.

            “Seriously, Theo?” Philip raised an eyebrow at his wife. “I’m her father, I think I can handle nights with her. Don’t tell me that I can’t.”

            Theo narrowed her eyes. “I’m not arguing with you. I’m taking her to my father’s.”

            “Theodosia, I can take care of my daughter!” Philip snapped. “I’m tired of you just whisking her away to your dad’s and pretending like I’m this abusive dad!”          “You’re upset, you’re not watching her tonight.”

            “This is the third week you’ve done this to me! She’s staying here!” Philip felt like she was purposefully trying to tear him down. “This all started when you started doing all these hours at the hospital.” He accused.

            “I’m trying to better myself. I promised myself that I would get my degree and I’m not going to quit now. Just because you think just a bachelors in English is okay doesn’t mean I’m settling too.” Theo shot back.

            “There you go again.” Philip threw his hands up. “You’re acting just like your father. I take care of both of you. Just because I’m not using my degree doesn’t mean I’m not working. We both knew this would be hard but you said you wanted to go back to school. I’m trying to support you, Theo, but this is our daughter! She’s not even six months!”

            “I’m trying to get a better life for her.” Theo replied hoarsely and turned around. She grabbed the diaper bag by the door and got her keys. “Don’t bother my dad, just go to your parents’ or Angie’s if you’re lonely.”

            “Theodosia, I’m tired of this…”

            “I am too, Philip.” She said back and walked out the front door. “I’m exhausted.” She got Beth in her car seat.

            “What do you want me to do? We barely talk anymore, you take these long shifts voluntarily, and it’s like you don’t want to be home.” Philip walked barefoot out into the driveway.

            “Because everything’s falling apart, Philip. I’m trying to do my best. But it’s frustrating and tiring.” Theo shut the car door so Beth didn’t have to hear them arguing.

            “Yeah it is, but we knew that going into this. We decided to have Beth, we decided to get married, and you decided to go right back to school.”

            “I promised my father…”

            “You’re an adult, Theo, it’s not his choice! I honestly don’t think he would care if you waited a few years. I’m sure he wants you to spend as much time with your daughter.” Philip fought.

            “I’m not sacrificing my career just because you get upset.” Theo replied firmly.

            “You said we both have to sacrifice.” Philip repeated. “You’re choosing this degree over your family.”

            “That’s what you believe, but I don’t see it that way. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Theo got in the car to drive to Aaron’s. Philip stood in the driveway, watching the car disappear down the road.

           

            Aaron opened the door, surprised to see Theo and his granddaughter. “Hey, I thought you were working tonight.”

            “I am, can I leave Beth with you?” Theo asked hurriedly.

            “Again?” Aaron never turned his granddaughter away but he was suspicious of all the late night calls. “Isn’t Philip home?”

            “Yeah, I don’t want him around her. He’s upset.” Theo hated how the words sounded out loud.

            “Theo…” Aaron sighed and let them in. He took the diaper bag from her. “I understand you and Philip are having problems, but you need to work through them. You can’t just run.”

            “I’m not running from anything I have to go to work.” Theo said back. “I don’t want to deal with it right now.”

            “Then when?” Aaron asked.

            “When he decides to grow up.” Theo replied strictly. “Now I’ve got to get to the hospital. She ate a little under an hour ago.”

            “Alright…” Aaron held his arms out to take Beth from his daughter’s arms. “Hi princess, ready for bedtime?” He said gently. His granddaughter cooed softly and reached out to pat his cheeks. “Say bye to mom.”

            “I love you, be good for granddad.” Theo smiled sadly and turned around. She hated leaving Beth; it tore at her every single time.

 

            “Theo, we’ve got a lot of blood in room three can you help?” A nurse asked as she hurried into the emergency room.

            “Uh…yeah.” She set her things down and grabbed a pair of latex gloves. She went to the room and stopped in shock. “Philip?”

            “Sthorry, you can’t get rid of me.” Philip Hamilton was holding a bloody cloth to his nose; his eyes were full of embarrassment and regret.

           “What did you do?” Theo grabbed a handful of gauze to clean up the blood.

            “I wasth going back insthide and opened the door a little forcefully…it bouncthed back and hit me.” Philip grumbled. He hated how pathetic he sounded.

            Theo bit back a laugh. “Why can’t I ever stay mad at you?” She cursed.

            “Sthorry.” Philip apologized again and smiled a bit.

            “Stop apologizing.” Theo shook her head. “The doctor’s going to come in to make sure it’s not a bad break.”

            “Great….thanksth.”

            “Alright, Philip?” A young doctor came in with a smile. “Thanks Theo. Let’s see if we need to reset it Philip winced as she gently touched the bridge of his nose. “It should heal right, it might take a few weeks though.”

            Theo gave her some bandages to patch up her husband’s nose.

            “Don’t worry, Mr. Hamilton, you look very handsome even with a broken nose.” She winked.

            Theo cleared her throat. “Uh…Margaret, this is Philip…my husband.”

            “Oh…oh my God, I’m so sorry!” The doctor giggled and her cheeks went red. “I should’ve realized…”

            “It’s alright.” Theo smiled. “I should go back to work.” She leaned over and kissed Philip’s forehead. “You’re…a foolish man but you’re my foolish man.” She sighed.

            “Well that’sth a relief to hear.” Philip gently squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

            Theo swallowed and nodded. “We can talk then.”

 

 

 

            Angie and Lucy looked at each other across the table. They were sitting in the Hamilton’s house. It was one of the first family meetings about the wedding and they were both regretting it greatly.

            “I will be damned if I let my child get married in Virginia.” Alexander snarled. “Monticello is out of the question.”

            “It’s the only venue fitting for my daughter. It’s either that or Paris.” Jefferson folded his arms across his chest.

            “Paris!?” Alexander exclaimed.

            “Oh stop being so dramatic, you two.” Martha snapped. “It’s Angie and Lucy’s decision because it’s their wedding.”

            Angie leaned over the table and reached for her fiancées hand. “We should just elope.” She whispered.

            Lucy giggled and nodded. “That would be less of a hassle for everyone.” She took Angie’s hand and kissed her palm.

            “Fine, we’ll ask them later. What about flowers?” Alexander checked the list.

            “Roses.” Jefferson answered.

            “Cliché, I was thinking something like lilacs.” Alexander retorted.

            “Lilacs?” Jefferson rolled his eyes.

            Angie flopped forward and let her forehead rest on the table. “Luce…I don’t think I can handle it.”

            Lucy gently stroked her fingers through Angie’s wild curls. “We’ll survive. Just think about it, we’ll get married and that’s that. It’ll be worth it.”

            “Talk about our honeymoon.” Angie said in a muffled voice.

            Lucy giggled softly. “We’ll go somewhere warm and exotic. We’ll stay as long as we want…do whatever we want…”

            “I have a few ideas…” Angie looked up with sly eyes.

            Her fiancée’s cheeks went bright red. “Angelica…” She scolded. They both burst out into laughter and made eyes at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's super excited for Angie and Lucy's wedding??? I know I am!


	33. Chapter 33

            Alexander and Thomas referred to it as the perfect disaster of a wedding. The night before that wedding, Angie woke up. She looked over and saw her fiancee still asleep in the bed next to her. Lucy wouldn’t be her fiancee in only a matter of hours; she’d be her wife. The idea was keeping Angie up most of the night. For the third time, the Hamilton girl got up to walk around. She wandered to the window and glanced out at the sky. It was nearing three in the morning and the darkness was fading from the sky.

            Angie turned when she heard the floorboards creaking behind her. Lucy had a blanket pulled her around her shoulders, her curls were sticking up in every known direction, and Angie thought she looked gorgeous. “Angelica, come back to sleep.” She whispered softly and walked over to take her hands.

            “I can’t sleep.” Angie smiled slightly. “I’m too excited.”

            “It’s still dark outside, we can be excited after we sleep.” Lucy giggled.

            Angie wrapped her arms around Lucy’s neck, hugging her close. “I know…” They gently swayed back and forth like they were practicing for their first dance later that very same day. Angie remembered something Alexander always sang to her mother. “Best of wives and best of women.” She sang softly.

 

 

            The moment of calm that night seemed to be the last of Angie and Lucy’s life. The wedding day started off with a bang. Family members were rushing around the grounds of Monticello trying to get everything ready.

            “Mom, mom!” Angie jumped as the hot curler nearly touched her scalp. “Too close!”

            Eliza gasped when she snapped out of her thoughts and back into reality. “Sorry sweetheart, I wasn’t paying attention.” She pulled the curler away and set it to the side.

            “That’s not comforting to know when you have a burning thing in your hand.” Angie laughed and shook her head. “Are you alright?”

            “I’m just thinking,” Eliza said sadly. “My second child is getting married."

            “You still have five kids left.” Her daughter reminded her playfully. But she felt the melancholy feeling in the air too. “But you know I’ll still be around.”

            “I know, but Philip’s off doing his own thing I just…I don’t know what I’m going to do when Liza’s out of the house.”

            “You have a long time before that happens,” Angie promised her and kissed her cheek.

            Eliza smiled and took her daughter’s hands in hers. “I love you.”

            “I know, mom.”

           

            “What’s the policy at weddings about sleeping?”

            “I think it’s frowned upon.” Theo stifled a yawn and watched Beth crawl across the grass, grabbing at a chair to try to stand.

            Philip’s eyes felt so heavy from the two hours of sleep he had gotten the night before. Beth had gotten colicky and decided she didn’t want to stop crying. “They’re not even here yet, we can get a cat nap in.”

            “It’s bad enough I had to bail out of being a bridesmaid for her. We have to be there for your sister.” Theo told him.

            Philip made a whiny noise and went to pick up his daughter. “But we have a legit excuse.”

            “They’re seating people, c’mon.” Theo walked over to the gardens where the beautiful altar and rows of chairs had been set up.

            Philip sat down next to his parents and sighed. Eliza took Beth from his arms. “You look exhausted, sweetie.”

            “Apparently Beth doesn’t like sleeping in new places.” Philip let his eyes close for a minute. “We tried swapping off but she would only stop crying if we were both there.”

            “Aw, she just wanted her mommy and daddy.” Eliza cooed and kissed her granddaughter’s cheek.

            “She was plotting to keep us up all night,” Theo grumbled and rested her cheek on her husband’s shoulder. Philip wrapped an arm around her to keep her close.         

 

            After Lucy and Angie were married, the large wedding party gathered in the ballroom of Monticello. That’s when Philip Hamilton took the microphone and stood up. “I’ve waited a long time for this.” He said and tapped the mic to test it. “Hi uh, I’m Philip, Angie’s brother. My sister was so kind to make an amazing speech at my own wedding. So I’m returning the favor.”

            Angie looked up at him, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking an eyebrow up at him. “Bring it on.” She challenged with a smirk.

            “My sister has a big mouth just like the rest of our family aside from my mom. So she made a big mistake when my daughter was born. Angie called me a softie when I cried the day Beth was born. So this is an open invitation to you and Lucy. If you ever adopt, Theo and I will happily babysit but I will call you a softie. I love you a lot, sis, but I will get my revenge. Now…onto embarrassing stories from our childhood…”

           

            Later that night, Lucy and Angie were off to their honeymoon. They were flying to Miami late that night. They were both still a little hyped up from the wedding and reception. But sitting in the airport, Angie started thinking about their future.

            “What did you think about Philip’s speech?” She looked over at Lucy.

            “It was funny. I didn’t know you wanted to be a superhero when you were younger.” Lucy teased her and nudged her arm.

            Angie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m talking about the beginning part. He said if we adopted or something.”

            Her wife looked at her with a bit of surprise. “Oh…I hadn’t thought about it before. I mean…well, I have.” She admitted. “But I wasn’t sure what you thought about it.”

            “Yeah I guess we haven’t talked about it before. So…what do you think?”

            “I think it would be nice. I mean we’re pretty good at babysitting Theo, right?” Lucy shrugged. “We would be good mothers.”

            “I know you would but do you think I would? I mean…what about my bad days?” Angie looked down at her feet feeling a little embarrassed.

            “I don’t think that would affect your parenting.” Lucy shook her head.

            “Luce…weeks ago I was in tears because of some stupid thing the wedding planner said.”

            “Angelica, everyone cries once in a while. You’re loving and caring. Why wouldn’t you be able to give that to a little boy or girl?”

            Angie sighed and reached over to hold her wife’s hand. “Adoption would be tough and take a long time.”

            “Maybe we can go to a sperm bank?”

            “Ew…” Angie made a face.

            “It’s not gross, that way the baby would be biologically related to one of us.” Lucy shrugged. “It would take less time. Maybe we can start off that way and then see how it feels before we consider adoption.” She figured gently.

            “So…who should…”

            “I kind of…I’ve wanted to have that connection…”

            “Good because I don’t think I could handle carrying another human being.” Angie laughed nervously. “Okay…we can look into doing this.” She agreed.

            Lucy smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “I love you. Now let’s go have a kickass honeymoon.”

            Angie giggled and kissed her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thanks for 300 kudos guys. I appreciate the support I've gotten from all you Hamiltonites...Hamiltonions? Hamiltonese? Hamiltonians Whatever you call us Hamilton fans.


	34. Chapter 34

            “He’s a Harvard legal graduate. Pretty high IQ.” Lucy said as she read over the application.

            “Hm, sounds good to me.” Theo flipped through her textbook to find a definition.

            The sister-in-laws were spending the day together in the park. Theo was studying for her finals and Lucy was looking over information about donors.

            “Does it really matter?” Lucy asked thoughtfully. “Whether they’re smart or whatever, I mean.”

            “I don’t know for sure. I would think so.” Theo shrugged. “Genetics is pretty important. It doesn't hurt to take extra care with it especially when you know when you're going to get pregnant. I didn't really have a choice, I fell in love with a poet.” She joked. 

            She laughed softly. “That’s what Angie said about genetics but I think the upbringing is important too,” Lucy thought out loud. “I guess you can’t know for certain until he or she is grown.”

            Theo noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. “I know it’s scary.” She reached over and placed a hand over hers.

            Lucy smiled. “It’s exciting too.” She shrugged. “But mostly scary.” She laughed nervously.

            Theo went to say something but someone caught her eye. Her entire face lit up as Philip walked over with Beth in a baby Bjorn strapped to his chest. “Look at how cute you two are!” She squealed and reached out to tickle Beth’s feet.

            Philip looked a little embarrassed. “We’ve been getting a lot of attention on our walk. Everyone thinks you’re super cute don’t they, monkey?”

            Beth giggled and flailed her arms and legs, thrilled to witness the world from a different viewpoint.

            “Don’t let Angie see you with that on,” Lucy warned. “You’ll never hear the end of it.”

            “Trust me, this is between us,” Philip said. “How’s studying going?” He asked his wife.

            “Tiring, but alright.” Theo shrugged. “I’ll be done soon.”

            “Okay, I can start dinner.” He said and bent down to kiss her cheek. Beth blew a few bubbles at her mother, grabbed for her curls. It was unlucky for most of her family that they had curly hair because it was Beth's favorite. Aaron didn't have to worry but Jefferson was in big trouble when he held her for the first time at the wedding. Thomas said he didn't mind and laughed at how ecstatic the infant was about his hair. 

 

            “I’ll see you at home, love,” Theo promised and kissed Beth’s chubby cheeks. “Be good for dad.”

            Lucy watched the family interact with so much love between them. She glanced down at the applications and realized how much she wanted to begin her own family. She wanted to create the lifelong bond with her wife and a child.

 

            That night, Philip walked out of the bathroom after taking his contacts out. He flopped onto the bed with a groan. Theo was already under the covers, reading. She glanced over at him and smiled. “Did she go down for you?”

            “Not without a fight. She wouldn’t let go of my hair. I’ll be bald before she’s three.” Philip sighed. "She's going to pull out all my hair." He pouted. 

            “There will a come a time where she won’t want you to kiss her goodnight,” Theo predicted knowing how her early teenage years went. “Hold onto these memories while you can. You're going to wish she never stopped grabbing your hair for you to stay.”

            “She’ll always be daddy’s girl, though,” Philip argued. “That’s something that will never change.”

            “Mhm, I know.” Theo set her book down.

            Philip shifted over so he was hovering over her. “And we thought we couldn’t do this.” He said quietly as he kissed over her jaw.

            “I never thought we couldn’t. I just didn’t know if you wanted to.” Theo replied factually. She wrapped her arms around him to keep him close. It felt like it had been ages since they’d been able to spend a quiet moment together. She didn’t know how much she had been craving intimacy with him until they were done with all their responsibilities for the day. She wriggled the sheets down so he could get under and have full access to her.

            “I thought you said you were tired at dinner and wanted to go straight to bed?” Philip teased as he noticed her subtle hints.

            “What can I say, I love a man in glasses and flannel PJ pants.” Theo faked a seductive voice.

            “I’m sure you find the bags under my eyes and Band-Aid on my pinky very sexy too. This style is all the rage now, ladies can't resist it.” Philip grinned and brushed a few curls away from her face.

            “What happened?” Theo reached for his hand to examine the Mickey Mouse Band-Air on his finger. She couldn't help but smile at the adorableness of it all. 

            “Your daughter thought it would be funny to bite my hand with her one tooth,” Philip told her. 

            “Teething rings are in the freezer, you know that.” Theo kissed the tip of his pinky.

            “I didn’t make in time to get one. She got too impatient and chomped down.” Philip sighed. “But as long as you think it’s attractive…”

            Theo giggled. “We’re a mess.” She pressed a hand to the back of his neck.

            “You’re not, you’re handling motherhood like a goddess,” Philip replied. “I’m a mere mortal compared to you.”

            Theo rolled her eyes. “Want to say that to my stretch marks and extra baby weight?”

            “Oh hush.” Philip started to pepper kisses down her neck. “You look fine.”

            “It’s unfair.” Theo’s lower lip started to quiver. It had become a sore subject for her. “All the cute, perky girls in my class are able to party, look like they’ve slept, and wear leggings without looking like they’re pregnant again. I used to be their size, I used to be able to stay energized.”

            Philip looked down at her with a disappointed face. “Theodosia…”

            “Don’t…”

            “Too late, you brought it up,” Philip told her. “You need to stop being so hard on yourself. Sure you have a few extra pounds but that’s normal, your doctor told you so. You sacrificed so much for Beth and I know that when she’s older she’s going to appreciate it so much. But you need to know how beautiful and strong you are.”

            “I’m not strong, I’m chubby.” Theo argued.

            “Theo, listen to me.”

            “I’m listening, I just don’t agree.”

            “If you saw what I saw in the mirror you’d be shocked. You would see the gorgeous, stunning, confident woman I see every single day. When I wake up next to you, I wonder how I got so damn lucky.”

            Theo knotted her fingers in his curls and tugged him down to her. “I love you.” She whispered before she crushed her lips to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the more spaced out updates. I'm applying to colleges and I need to get my portfolio together for writing programs. It's a real struggle when you realize how much easier writing fanfiction is rather than writing original stuff. I wish I could just send in some PhilTheo fluff. Oh well. Hope everyone likes the chapter. I wanted some Philip and Theo love, I've been neglecting them


	35. Chapter 35

            The Hamiltons always went upstate for the summer. The trip was full of traditions beginning with Eliza having to drag Alexander away from his work. It was Philip and Catherine Schuyler’s favorite time of the year. They got to see all their children, grandchildren, and now their one and only great granddaughter.

            “Alexander, I will throw that phone in the lake if you do not put it down.” Eliza threatened.

            “Eliza, I’m merely looking over the news.” Alexander lied weakly.

            “Give it to me.” She held out her hand.

            “Jefferson’s trying to pass a bill I don’t want to pass!” Alexander protested but pocketed the phone so Eliza couldn’t get it.

            “Your children are all together, your whole family is here.” Eliza held out her hands to her husband. “Come enjoy the summer.”

            He sighed and took her hands. “The lake is too cold.”

            “Oh be quiet.” Eliza pecked his cheek and pulled him to the water’s edge where the rest of the family was. JC, Will, and Liza were making a sand castle together. James and Alex were tossing a Frisbee back and forth. Angie and Lucy were wading in the water holding Beth’s feet in the water. Theo and Philip were taking the well-needed break from their daughter out on a paddleboard.

            Beth squealed when she saw her grandfather. She reached out to one of her favorite people.

            Alexander’s tired face lit up. “Hi princess,” He said gently and walked through the water to pick her up. “Are you having fun?”

            “Babababa!” Beth grabbed the end of his ponytail.

            “Where are mom and dad?” Alexander pointed out to the lake further out where his son and daughter-in-law were. “What are they doing?”

            Beth reached out her hand and mimicked him pointing. “Mama, dada.” She said.

            “I knew it. Aaron and I said from the beginning that if we read to her at an early age she would start talking in no time.” Alexander said proudly.

            “You certainly did.” Eliza sighed and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Now what are they doing out there?” She shaded her eyes to see Philip trying to tip the paddleboard. Theo screamed as she toppled off the board and into the water. Philip laughed until his wife grabbed him and dragged him into the water too.         

            “How are they good parents?” Alexander shook his head.

            Eliza rolled her eyes. “Remember when you let Philip dress baby Angie up as a pumpkin by painting her orange?” She raised an eyebrow.

            “I didn’t know he was going to paint her orange.” Alexander scoffed. “He just asked if he could dress her up and I said yes. There wasn’t any mention of paint.”

            Eliza sighed. “It took forever to get her not orange.” She remembered.

            “When did we get so old?” Alexander asked as he shifted his granddaughter onto his hip.

            “Time flies.” Eliza shrugged and leaned into his side.

            “Time flies when you’ve got an awesome wife and kick ass kids.” Alexander chuckled and kissed her forehead.

            “That’s true but you’re still paying up for that no-no word. Isn’t he Beth?” Eliza cooed.

            “No-no!” Beth parroted.

            Alexander groaned. “Every time…I’m going to pay for your college with the swear jar, kid.”

            Eliza went to say something but someone gasping and letting out a shriek interrupted her.

            “No way!” Angie cried. They looked over to see their eldest daughter pulling her wife into her arms.

            “Angie, what’s your problem?” James complained. “You’re so loud.”

            “She’s pregnant!” Angie didn’t make any effort to lower her voice. “We’re going to have a kid!” She spun Lucy around in her arms.

            Lucy giggled and clung to her tightly. “We’re going to have a kid!”

            “Oh dear…there’s a few more gray hairs.” Alexander sighed.

            “Oh please, you’re excited.” Eliza smiled and nudged him. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

 

                        Lucy lifted up her shirt and glanced in the mirror. She sighed softly and couldn’t help but smile a little bit. She couldn’t wait until she was far along enough to show. She walked out of the bathroom and found Angie studying.

            She glanced up and smiled at her wife. “How’s your back?” She said softly and extended an arm to her.

            “Painful.” Lucy winced and walked over to her. She perched on Angie’s lap.

            “I think you should go to the doctor.” Angie rested her chin on her shoulder.

            “I think you’re just being paranoid.” Lucy replied and placed her hand over hers.

            “It would make me feel better…”

            “Wait another week, it’ll go away.” Lucy stood up letting her hand slip away. “Are you going to class tonight?” She asked.

            “Not unless you need me home.” Angie said. It had been her excuse for everything. She didn’t want to leave her pregnant wife alone for long periods of time. She got anxious something would happen and she wouldn’t be able to help.

            “I’ll be alright.” Lucy assured her and went to make herself a mug of tea. “I was just going to watch a movie.”

            Angie sighed and stood up. “Okay…please call me if anything comes up. I pulled out the heating pad for your back; it’s on the bed. Don’t do anything to strain yourself; Theo said if you’re in pain you should rest. Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way back? I should be home by eight.”

            “Sure, you can pick.” Lucy smiled. “You spoil me, you know that right?” She murmured.

            She giggled. “I love you.” Angie replied and pulled her coat on. “Call me, don’t be afraid to.”

            “I know.” Lucy nodded. “Then you don’t have to worry about me.”

            “Impossible.” Angie replied and grabbed her keys. She winked to her and left the apartment.

            Lucy laughed softly to herself. She turned back to the kettle and sighed. She touched spot on her back that was aching. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore it as she dipped the teabag into the mug of boiling water. Then, she went to the living room to sit down and turn the TV on.

            For a bit, Lucy was able to forget about the pain. It wasn’t until two hours later did she receive an extreme amount of pain. She whimpered out and clutched her stomach. For the first time, she started to get afraid. She considered calling Angie but didn’t want to worry her. The hopeful lawyer had already missed too many classes because of her wife. Lucy felt guilty that she was holding her back.

            She tried to stand up and walk the pain off. But she started to feel crippled from under the intense pain. She cried out quietly and closed her eyes tightly. She reached out blindly for the house phone and opened her eyes to dial her doctor’s number.

            After her doctor was able to calm her down, Lucy was instructed to go to the bathroom. She pulled her sweatpants off and nearly screamed when she saw the gray fabric was spotted with dark red blood.


	36. Chapter 36

            Angie looked down when she felt her phone vibrate on her lap. She saw it was a text from Theo. She quickly read it and almost jumped up when she did. Without a word, she grabbed her bag and rushed out of the lecture hall. She wasn’t going to wait for a taxi, instead, she ran as fast as she could to the hospital.

           

            Theo caught her sister-in-law before she could barrel into the hospital room. “Slow down, I need to talk to you…”

            “Where is she? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?” Angie was breathless but still managed to spit out a few words.

            “She’s okay, the doctor’s just talked to me.” Theo pulled her a few steps down the hall and away from the door. She felt her stomach as she realized what she had to tell her sister. “Something happened, they’re not exactly sure what, but she lost the baby.”

            Angie’s knees buckled and she felt faint. “Oh my God…no…” She braced a hand against the wall so she wouldn’t completely collapse.

            “There wasn’t anything that could’ve been done, it just happens sometimes.” Theo held a hand out to make sure she would stay standing. “Lucy didn’t do anything and neither did you, sometimes things can just go wrong.”

            “I need to see her.” Angie gasped and pushed past Theo to go in the room.

            Lucy Jefferson looked fragile and tiny in the hospital bed. She was restrained in her manner, though, still shocked at what she had been told. She looked up when she saw her wife enter the hospital room.

            “Luce…” Angie nearly fell to her knees. She quickly went to her side, going to hug her gently.

            “I’m sorry…”

            “Don’t apologize…”

            “I’m so sorry…”

            “Lucy, stop,” Angie whispered. “Don’t apologize just let me hold you.”

            She stopped talking but couldn’t stop crying. Her frail body shook frantically in her wife’s arms. Angie held her close, gently petting her hair, kissing her cheek, and whispering softly.

 

            Lucy was quiet for most of the day. Angie tried talking to her about the baby but she didn’t want to discuss it. It made Angie frustrated and more upset. Theo had to keep her calm and collected so she didn’t upset Lucy.

            Eliza came to the hospital once Theo texted her. She went to comfort Angie but she shrugged her mother off. She was too angry with everyone and everything. So she went to talk to her daughter-in-law.

            Lucy sat up when she saw Eliza walk into the room. “Mrs. Hamilton…”

            “Darling, you know you can call me, Eliza.” She said softly and sat down beside the bed. “We’re not strangers.” She gently put a hand on her arm.

            Lucy sighed shakily and nodded. “Alright…sorry.”

            “Don’t apologize.” Eliza smiled sadly. “How are you feeling?”

            “Tired,” Lucy answered. “I’m not in a lot of pain though just…sad.” She tried to sound calm but her voice wavered.

            “I understand,” Eliza said softly. “I haven’t even told my own children this. But I had a miscarriage before I had Angie.”

            “Oh…you…you did?” Lucy wasn’t sure what to say.

            Eliza nodded. “I know how much it hurts. It’s the ultimate loss. All we want to do is love our children but what do you do when you’ve never held him or her?”

            Lucy started to cry and instinctively fell into Eliza’s arms. “It’s not fair.”

            “You’re right, it’s not fair. Life hands us difficult cards and we have to deal with them. But we have family and friends who are there to help us with our rough spots.” Eliza hugged her gently. “Sweetheart, you have so many people who love you and will be here to support you.”

            “Angie hasn’t talked to me in hours.” Lucy sobbed. “I’m going to lose her because I couldn’t keep the baby safe.”

            “No, absolutely not.” Eliza shook her head. “I’ve seen true love a few times in my life. Philip and Theo are one example; you and my daughter are another. I know that she’s taking it very hard but I’ll talk to her. It’s going to take some time.”

            “I feel like nothing’s going to get better. Everything’s ruined.” Lucy cried against her shoulder.

            “Sh, no sweetie.” Eliza gently smoothed the young woman’s hair back. “It’s a new day tomorrow.”

            “And it’s going to be a horrible day.”

            “If you think it is then it will be.” Eliza pointed out. “Trust me, you’re going to have some bad days but you’re going to have a lot more good days. You will smile more than you’ll cry.” She brushed Lucy’s curls out of her face and touched her cheek. “You’ll love more than you’ll mourn.”

            Lucy sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I thought mother-in-laws were supposed to be mean and rude.”

            Eliza chuckled. “Theo said something similar to that.” She remembered. “I’m just lucky I got such great daughter-in-laws.” She smiled and grabbed a few tissues for her. “Let me go talk to Angie. Want me to send Theo in here to keep you some company?” She asked.

            Lucy nodded. “Sure, thank you so much, Eliza.” She said quietly. “It means so much to me that you care. I-I can’t thank you enough.”

            “It’s just my job as a mom.” Eliza smiled and gave her one more hug before standing up. “Your mom called me, she couldn’t get a direct flight so she’s in Boston for a layover. She and your father will be here in an hour or less.”

            “Great, thank you.” Lucy smiled and nodded.

            Eliza nodded and went to go find her daughter.

            Unfortunately, while she was gone, Angie had lost her temper. The distress of the day got to her. Philip had asked how she was and Angie used him as a target for all her frustrations and pain.

            Theo had to hold her sister-in-law back as she tried to go after her own brother.

            “Angelica, you’re overreacting just sit down.” Philip held his hands out to her to keep her at a distance.

            “Don’t tell me what to do! You think I need you breathing down my neck? How do you think I feel, Philip? My wife just lost our child!” Angie yelled at him.

            “I was just trying to help there’s no reason to scream at me.”

            “Angie, please sit down. You need to breathe.” Theo said gently and tried to get her to sit down in the waiting room.

            “Get the hell off me!” Angie pushed Theo away from her.

            Eliza ran up to the altercation. “Angelica, what is the matter?” She took over Theo’s role and pulled her into her arms. “You two go see Lucy and keep her company.” She instructed her son and daughter-in-law. “Angie, talk to me.”

            “I don’t want to talk to anyone.” Angie weakly fought her mother’s grip. “Leave me alone.”

            “Eliza…” Alexander walked into the emergency room. “What’s going on? What happened? Why’d you call me?”

            “Lucy lost the baby!” Angie broke down in tears. She was too exhausted to fight anymore.

            “Oh…Ange…” Alexander reached out to hug his daughter and wife. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s not fair.” Angie’s knees buckled as Eliza helped her sit down.

            “We’re here for you, it’s okay to cry.” Alexander held her close and let her rest her head on his shoulder. “Sh…” He rubbed her shoulder. “Breathe, baby.” Angie hiccupped as she tried to breathe.

            “Let’s talk, okay?” Eliza said softly and looked to Alexander. She knew they had to tell her about the son they lost.

 

            A little while later, Angie had calmed down enough to go see Lucy. They didn’t say much about the baby. But they were able to talk.

            “What did the nurse say?” Angie asked quietly.

            “I can go home soon.” Lucy said gratefully. “I just want to go sleep in our bed.”

            “I know it’s been a long night.” Angie sighed and leaned against Lucy’s shoulder.

            Lucy looked over to the door when she saw her parents walk in. “Hi mom, hi dad.” She smiled.

            “Hi sweetheart.” Martha set her luggage down as they had come right from the airport. She rushed to hug her daughter.

            Thomas looked defeated as he walked in. “Hi, Angie.” He said gently and was a bit surprised when his daughter-in-law immediately went to hug him. Thomas hugged her back and sighed. “Things are going to be okay.” He promised.

            “Thank you for coming,” Angie said and let him go to hug Lucy.

            “We’ll always come if you call,” Martha said and embraced her daughter-in-law. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”

            “We’re still working through it,” Angie admitted. “It’s been hard.”

            “I’m so sorry, you two don’t deserve to go through something like this.” Martha shook her head.

            “We’re going to get through this.” Lucy reached out to take her wife’s hand.

            “Yeah, we are.” Angie squeezed her hand and nodded. “We’ll be alright because we have each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm making a few people sad but angst is crucial in a fic. Fluff is as well and that will be coming soon. Hope everyone had a spooky Halloween.


	37. Chapter 37

            A year later, Beth Hamilton had gained a fairly good vocabulary.

            “Stoopit!”       

            “Is she saying, stop it?” AJ’s girlfriend looked over at the baby who was toddling around Eliza’s kitchen. She started repeating the word as she grabbed onto chair legs to help her balance. 

            “No, she’s saying, stupid.” AJ grinned and shook his head.

            “It’s because she’s spending too much time around you kids,” Eliza sighed and looked disappointed. “Beth, that’s a bad word. Don’t say it.” She knelt down to scold the little girl.

            Beth wasn’t used to Eliza being the disciplinary and she wasn’t happy about it. She dropped to the floor and started to wail. It was usually the best tactic to get cuddled. 

            “Oh, no, Beth, sweetie.” Eliza scooped her up and cuddled her close. "Don't cry." 

            “Mom, don’t baby her so much. She’s going to act that way just to get your attention,” Angie accused.

            AJ rolled his eyes at his older sister. “Don’t get all baby book on mom, she raised all of us,” He pointed out. "And I think in my case she did a perfect job." He preened. 

            “For your information, Alexander, I’m going to be a mother too, of twins may I remind you,” Angie replied with a proud look of her own.

            James groaned from the living room where he was watching crime shows. “For God’s sake, we know!” He yelled. “It’s not like you haven’t been telling us that for the past nine months.”

            “Hush,” Eliza told both of her sons. “She and Lucy are allowed to be excited.”

            Angie smiled and looked at Beth. “You’re going to get two baby cousins.” She reminded her niece. 

            Beth squealed and clapped her hands together. “Babs!” She exclaimed.

            “Soon,” Angie promised.

            “Maybe very soon…” Eliza looked down at her phone. “Did you get a text from Theo?”

            “No…” Angie’s stomach tightened up in fear. The last time she’d gotten a text from Theo about her wife they’d lost a baby. She was more assured now that Lucy was close to her due date that nothing would happen. The doctor said both babies were healthy. But until she held both children in her arms she wouldn’t be completely relaxed. “What did she send you?”

            “Lucy’s water broke in the store. She’s okay they’re bringing her to the hospital.” Eliza assured her.

            “Her water…oh my God.” Angie went a little faint.

            “Alright, let’s go to the hospital.” Philip noticed how pale she went and grabbed her shoulders. “You’ve been prepared for this for a long time. You’re going to be fine.” He walked her to the door. “Mom, can you bring Beth? Her car seat is in your car. I’ll go ahead with Ange.”

            “I’m going to be a mother…”

 

 

            Lucy was in labor for almost nine hours. Angie never left her side for one minute. It was one of the many moments when Lucy Jefferson-Hamilton knew she was deeply in love with her wife.

 

            “Twins girls,” Angie breathlessly said as she ran into the waiting room. “They’re beautiful…they’re so perfect.” She was sobbing and couldn’t get the smile off her face.

            “Oh sweetheart.” Eliza hugged her tightly. “We’re so proud of you both.”

            “Congratulations.” Philip smiled and wrapped an arm around Theo.

            “We’re grandparents.” Martha shook her husband’s hand excitedly.

            Alexander smirked. “Welcome to the geezer club, Thomas.” He said smugly.

            Jefferson just shook his head and smiled. “Gladly.”

           

            Angie held one of her daughters close. She lay next to Lucy who was holding the other twin.

            “They’re precious…” Angie couldn’t take her eyes off them. They had beautiful sepia skin and black wisps of curls. They both had Lucy’s deep chocolate eyes, and Angie pointed out the dimples already on their cheeks.

            “It was so worth it. All the pain and waiting…so worth it.” Lucy whispered and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Our beautiful girls, they're more perfect than I could ever dream of.”

            Angie leaned over and kissed her wife’s cheek. “Thank you,” She murmured, “You’ve given me the best gift anyone could ever give.”

            “I wouldn’t have gotten through it without you.”

 

            Alexander smiled at his new granddaughters. “Are they identical?” He asked. “It looks like they are but I guess you can't tell at this early of an age.”

            “They’re fraternal,” Lucy answered. “But they’ll look alike anyways, at least we think so.”

            “Look, Beth,” Theo held her daughter up to see the newborn in Philip’s arms. “Is that your new cousin? Who's cousin is that?”

            “Baby…” The little bundle mesmerized Beth. “Cuz.” She tried to mimic the word her mother was saying.

            “We’re so proud of you, you did so well.” Martha held her daughter close and kissed her cheek over and over again. “You get to experience something so magical. You get to nurture them and raise them. They're going to be such angels.”

            “Even though they're half Hamilton.” Thomas added but in a light tone so Alexander wouldn't get too high and mighty. “So, don’t keep us waiting any longer, what did you name them?” He asked impatiently.

            Lucy looked at Angie who smiled and nodded. “Tomlin and Alexandria.” She answered softly.

            “Or Lexi and Tomi,” Angie added. "We figured they'll get nicknamed anyways so we wanted to be the first to." 

            Eliza snorted when she saw the awe in her husband’s face. “You’ve granted him his wish, he has a legacy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to start another Philip/Theo AU soon because this one is getting wrapped up. Does anyone have any ideas to what you would want to read? I have a few ideas but I want to write something that readers of this fic want to see. Let me know, I'd love to hear your opinions!


	38. Chapter 38

            Beth started to wail interrupting Philip’s sleep. He groaned and fumbled for his glasses and phone. His daughter was two and normally slept through the night fine. But sometimes she would wake up screaming from a nightmare. Philip used his phone as a flashlight to find his way to her bedroom.

            “Dadeee…” Beth sobbed and reached out her little arms to him when she saw him come into the room.

            “Sh, it’s alright princess, daddy’s right here.” Philip set his phone down and turned on the small lamp on her nightstand. He reached over to gather his daughter up in his arms. “What’s wrong, love?” He sat on the edge of her small princess bed, holding her close.

            “Bad dream.” Beth curled up into a tight little ball and burrowed into his arms. She was shivering slightly from the nightmare. 

            “Aw, I’m sorry you had a bad dream.” Philip smoothed her curls back as he rocked her back and forth. “But dad’s here now so you don’t have to be scared. Dad’s not going to let anything happen to you.”

            Beth sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Bad…” She hiccupped. "Not fun." She whined and stuck her bottom lip out. 

            “You’ve got to be a big girl, Bethie, you can’t be afraid of silly nightmares,” Philip said softly as he cradled her. "Can you be a brave girl for me and get back to sleep? Daddy needs to work in the morning." 

            Beth didn’t like that verdict at all. She started to shorten her breaths, ready for tantrum mode and began to cry again. “Mommy!” She sobbed for her backup plan. She truly was her mother's daughter. 

            “No, no, Beth, mommy needs to sleep. Daddy’s here it’s all right.” Philip tried to quiet her to no avail.

            Eventually, Theo woke up and shuffled into the bedroom when Beth wouldn't calm down. “Did I hear someone call for me?” She yawned and stretched as she walked through the door. 

            “Yes, you were requested by name, very exclusive.” Philip smiled even through his exhaustion. He didn't care about being tired. He cherished the small, beautiful, sweet moments he got to experience with his little family. They were his everything and if they made him smile then that was always enough. 

            Theo chuckled softly and sat down next to him. “Baby, what’s wrong?” She reached to wipe Beth’s tears away from her face and try to tame her curls. "Why are you crying?" She whispered. 

            The toddler sniffed and whimpered. “Bad dream.” She repeated the problem to her mother.

            “Oh, I see.” Theo leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Well you’re safe now, you’ve got mommy and daddy here to protect you.” She promised.

            “That’s right, so you can go back to sleep. You need your sleep for daycare tomorrow, right?” Philip coaxed. "You need lots of energy to play and color more pictures for the fridge don't you?" 

            Beth’s eyelids started to droop but she wouldn’t let go of Philip. She wasn't easily swayed even with nods towards daycare, one of her favorite places. “Stay,” She commanded her father. 

            “Just for a bit, princess.” Philip gave in and lay back on the small bed, his feet nearly falling off the edge. Beth curled up in the crook of his arm and clung onto his shirt. She was smart and wasn’t about to let him sneak away once she’d fallen asleep. She wasn’t new to this game.

            Theo happily molded into Philip’s free side. She extended an arm over her husband’s chest to rest protectively around her daughter. She yawned and closed her eyes as he wrapped an arm around her as well. Theo loved the little moments too. Life was stressful but the quiet, sweet moments with her precious daughter and loving husband were priceless to her. She would give everything up for them. 

            Philip watched as his two favorite girls fell asleep in his arms. His heart melted, as he knew for a fact he _was_ the luckiest guy in the world. He kissed Beth then Theo’s forehead. He closed his eyes and slept easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter but I just wanted to write some fluff to make myself feel better. Anyways, I started another PhilTheo AU. It's off to a shaky start but I think it might get better. Check it out if you can't get enough of these two, because I certainly can't.


	39. Chapter 39

            “Theo?” Aaron glanced over at the time when he answered his daughter’s call. It was nearing ten at night and he hadn’t the slightest clue why she would call so late.

            “Hey, dad.” She sounded a little breathless which was even stranger.

            “Are you alright? Why are you calling so late?”

            “Everything’s fine. I had a late doctor’s appointment then went to have dinner with Angie, Lucy, and the twins. I didn’t have time between then to tell you the news.” Theo explained hurriedly.

            “What news?” Aaron couldn’t stand the suspense. “Theodosia, what is going on?”

            “I’m pregnant again and it’s a boy,” Theo revealed happily.

            Aaron felt his heart skip a beat. “Really?”

            “Yep, Philip and I talked about names too.” Theo smiled to herself.

            “Well, it’s about time…”

            “Yeah, we thought Alex would be cute.”

            Aaron groaned. “Seriously? The man doesn’t need his ego inflated even more. They call Alexandria Alex anyways!”

            Theo giggled and put a hand on her stomach. “I’m kidding, dad, of course, we’re naming him Aaron.” She said gently.

            Aaron shook his head and chuckled. “You got me for a second there.” He admitted. “Of all the times to disown you…” He sighed.

            “You wouldn’t want your life to be any differently.” Theo accused slyly. “You love Philip and the Hamiltons.”

            “Love is a strong word…”

            “But you do.”

            Aaron looked over at the pictures on his desk. The amount of frames had increased significantly over the last five or six years. Before, there only used to sit a picture of his wife and Theo’s school pictures. Now there were pictures from Christmas, pictures from Theo and Philip’s wedding, a ton of Beth, and a picture of all the combined families, the Hamiltons, Burrs, and Jeffersons. But his dearest Theodosia always sat closest to him on the desk. A picture of Beth sat next to her. The little girl was starting to emulate features of her late grandmother. They smiled the same. Theodosia would be so proud. He took a deep breath and rested back in his desk chair. “I try to live every day like your mother is watching me.”

            Theo looked down as she felt the waterworks coming on. It was hard to know her two children would never meet the incredible woman. “I’m sure she’s happy knowing all you’ve done for your family.”

            “I’ve made mistakes.” He replied guiltily.

            “We all have. No one’s perfect and mom knew that better than anyone.” Theo reminded him gently. “But that’s life.”

            “You’ve always been just as insightful as she was,” Aaron noted. “She would be so proud.”

            Theo wiped at her eyes. “I know she would be, that’s why I’m so happy. I have everything I could’ve wanted in life. I have everything she dreamed I would.” She whispered.

            “You do.” Aaron nodded. “She would be proud.” He said again. There weren't enough words to say so.

 

 

            “Aaron Theodore Hamilton, he fits the name well doesn't he?”

            “I'll say so. Hey, bud.” Philip gently touched his son’s cheek. “He’s incredible, Theo.” He murmured.

            Aaron yawned and opened his eyes. He looked up at both of his parents in curiosity.

            “It’s amazing how they experience things for the first time,” Theo remembered how enthusiastic Beth was to explore. “I mean-I know we all did but watching them is…just perfect.” She sighed happily.

            “I wonder if he’s thinking how strangers are holding him.” Philip chuckled.

            “I think he would remember the woman whose stomach he stayed in for nine months.” Theo rolled her eyes. “You on the other hand…” She teased.

            “Well we’ve got all the time in the world to get to know each other, don’t we?” Philip smiled. “I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 40 (the next one) will be the epilogue. I love this fic so much but they must all end at some point.


	40. Chapter 40

            “Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf.”

            “Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf.”

            “Good,”

            Eliza was surprised to hear the piano being played as she walked into the house. She set her shopping bags down and walked to the parlor where the old grand piano always resided. She smiled immediately when she saw Philip sitting at the bench with nine-year-old Beth by his side. Philip had an arm wrapped around her so he could rest both hands over his daughter’s as he guided her through the notes.

            “Sept, huit, neuf.”

            “ _Sept,_ huit, neuf.”

            Philip chuckled and corrected her. “Sept, huit, neuf.”

            “Mine sounds better, daddy.” Beth informed him.

            “I know, but we’re doing scales.” Philip reminded her gently. “If you want to be able to play like Aunt Angie and grandma then you have to practice scales.”

            “Scales are boring.” Beth sighed and banged a few sour notes.

            “Why don’t you take a break then? Go see what mom and Aaron are doing with grandpa.”

            “Okay!” Beth jumped up and ran by Eliza. “Hi grandma!” She called as she zoomed by.

            “Hi darling.” Eliza smiled and walked into the parlor. “She’s really taken on your personality, huh?”

            Philip shrugged sheepishly. “She’s a free spirit.” He turned around so he could face his mom.

            “I didn’t know you and Theo were coming over.” Eliza said and went to take off her coat.

            “Yeah, we were going for a walk and passed by. We decided to pop in.” Philip explained. “Theo and pops are talking about something.”

            “Well it’s always a treat to have my children around.” Eliza sat down on the piano bench next to her eldest son.

            “Getting sad about the empty nest?” Philip asked gently and wrapped an arm around her.

            Eliza sighed. The last Hamilton child, Liza, had been accepted to Wesleyan University and now it was just Eliza and Alexander in the big house.

            “My youngest is off to college, four of my kids are college graduates, married, and have kids, and another one is engaged. My second youngest is off building schools in all these different countries. I can’t even be there to make sure he’s wearing sunscreen.” She rubbed her eyes.

            “And you can say that instead of bad things. None of your kids are dead, none of your kids are addicted to drugs, and none of your kids are homeless.” Philip pointed out. “You can say those good things because you are a kick ass mom.”

            Eliza smiled and kissed his forehead. “You’re perfect with words, just like your father. Sometimes it’s a blessing and sometimes it’s a curse.”

            Philip chuckled. “Theo says the same thing.”

            “Do you ever wonder how the course of life is so smooth?”

            Philip glanced over at his mom. “Are you doing another meditation cd or something? What’s with the insight?”

            “I’m just thinking.” Eliza shrugged.

            “I don’t think it’s smooth.” Philip remembered the fights he’d had with Theo and the rough points in his life.

            “Not always but think about it. Because of a mistake at Columbia you met the woman you fell in love with. I went to a party and by chance met your father.” Eliza shrugged.

            “I guess I’ve never thought about it that way.” Philip looked down at his wedding band on his hand.

            “Daddy!” Little Aaron ran into the room. He was going for Philip but when he saw Eliza, he made a quick change in direction. “Nana!” He launched himself into her lap.

            “Hi, sweetie.” Eliza cuddled the four-year-old close and kissed his cheek. “Where is Papa?” She asked.

            “Papa is recovering from a piggy back ride.” Alexander walked into the room with a smile.

            Theo walked in behind her father-in-law, holding Beth’s hand. “Hi Eliza.” She said.

            “Hi, darling.” Eliza smiled when she saw her granddaughter and daughter-in-law.

            “It feels like it was only yesterday I saw you and mom sitting at that piano when you were nine.” Alexander reminisced.

            “Daddy was never nine.” Beth rolled her eyes at the preposterous idea.

            Alexander chuckled and picked his granddaughter up. “Whatever you say, princess.” He said dutifully. “Whatever you say.”

 

            “Tomlin Hamilton you stay out of that mud!” Angie scolded as she saw her adventurous seven-year-old inching towards the puddle.

            The little girl made a face and purposefully stomped in the puddle a little bit before dashing off so her mother couldn’t get another word in.

            “Crazy kid.” Angie shook her head. “I honestly don’t know where she gets it from.”

            Theo chuckled softly. “Call it the Hamilton gene, there’s no need to blame one specific person.”

            Angie smirked and shook her head. “I can go with that. You’ve got two little angels though, not sure what happened to Philip’s DNA.”

            “Beth is starting to talk back. I would get mad but it’s actually kind of funny.” Theo admitted. “She looks just like Philip when she’s cranky.”

            Angie giggled as she kept an eye on the twin and her nephew as they wrecked havoc across the playground.

            “So, yours and Lucy’s anniversary’s coming up, huh?” Theo prompted. “That’s exciting. Are you two doing anything special?”

            “Not really,” Angie shrugged, “we don’t want to make a spectacle of it. I got her some books and a ring. But we’re just used to being married so I guess there’s no point on getting extravagant.”

            “But it’s a celebration right?”

            “Yeah but every day with Luce is a celebration for me.” Angie replied sheepishly. “Light of my life.” She laughed at how corny she sounded.

            “That’s sweet.” Theo smiled and looked over at her sister-in-law. “I like that idea.”

            “Well, I’m no poet like your husband.”

            “Mm, I love my anniversary poems, they’re the best.” Theo said truthfully. “They’re always the longest because he works on them for weeks before.”

            “You don’t keep all of them do you?” Angie wondered.

            “Of course.” Theo nodded. “I’ve kept all of them.”

            “No shit.”

            “Yep, I have two boxes full.” Theo said proudly. “I actually don’t think Philip knows that I’ve kept them all.”

 

            Philip yawned as he walked into the bedroom. “I honestly hate when it gets so dark this late. Like why can’t New York face the sun all the time?” He grumbled as he walked to the dresser to get changed. He glanced over at his wife who was knelt in front of the bed. “What’re you doing?” He asked.

            “Looking at a few old things.” Theo said and he heard tears lacing her voice.

            “Are you crying?” Philip set the change of clothes aside and walked over to you. “What’s wrong?” He said gently and knelt down next to her.

            “Nothing, it’s stupid.” Theo laughed and put down the piece of paper she was reading.

            “What is all this?” Philip took in the sight of the boxes that had been hidden under the bed. Theo had opened them and he could see they were full of papers.

            “All the poems you’ve given me.” Theo told him and she wiped her tears away.

            “You kept all of them?” Philip looked stunned. He assumed that maybe she kept a few but not _all_ of them. It was rare that he would go a month without giving his wife a poem.

            “I wasn’t going to throw them out.” Theo said. “Why would I do that?”

            “I dunno it’s just a piece paper.” Philip shrugged.

            “Oh please, it’s more than that.” Theo turned to face him. “These are your feelings for me. These are all evidence of your love for me. These are art and you’re silly to think they’re not.” She said firmly.

            Philip shook his head. “God I love you.” He breathed and leaned over to kiss her.

            Theo pulled away after a bit because of the awkward angle. “I love you too.” She murmured.

            “So which one is this?” Philip took the poem she had been crying over.

            “The one you wrote when I told you I was pregnant with Beth. This was the proof I had that you would be the perfect father. I was terrified you would leave me and not think twice about it. But you gave this to me and…” Theo couldn’t help but tear up a little more. “I just couldn’t believe I’d landed the perfect boy.”

            Philip wrapped an arm around her. “You glorify me too much, Burr.” He murmured.

            “Says the man who described me as the woman who stops time with a glance.” She read the words off the paper.

            “True. That’s true.”

            Theo laughed softly and leaned into him. “I love you.” She said again.

            “My Theodosia.”

 

            Charles Lee was beyond baffled. He did not know who these people were. He did not know who their kids were. But every single Christmas, they sent him a holiday card. And every single card had a picture of the family, two kids. And the message that said, ‘thank you’. He had no idea it was the couple he by chance brought together by refusing to separate a Burr and a Hamilton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sobs endlessly for my hopeless ship* I loved writing this fic because I love Theo and Philip and you readers had such a positive reaction which kept me going. I'm so sad to end this but alas they all have to end. Again thank you so much for all the support you've given me. I'm definitely not finished writing these two because I love them more than anything. I have two going right now, a few one-shots, and another one in the works. I think it's going to be a soulmate au. Thank you again you wonderful Hammies


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